Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leann Watson said the announcement had been eagerly awaited. “The significant impact of the border restrictions on spending in the region and the ability for business to operate and trade at capacity has been very keenly felt, with pockets of the business community severely hit. Prior to Covid-19, Australia was Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest international visitor market, accounting for almost half of all international visitor arrivals, and spending approximately $2.7 billion, so as we head into the colder months, an influx of visitors from Australia will have a significant positive impact on many businesses, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors. It will also be a boost for small businesses, such as retailers, who rely on international tourism spend, and are also shouldering additional costs due to operating in a Covid environment and the increased Minimum Wage from 1 April.”
Covid 19 coronavirus: Stuart Nash warns tourist numbers may not fully recover for another 3-4 years
3 Apr, 2021 05:00 PM
4 minutes to read
A pontoon, that once would ve been filled with people, now sits submerged. Video / ABC
New Zealand s Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has issued a grave warning to tourism operators, saying it could be another three to four years at least before visitor numbers return to pre-coronavirus levels.
Nash made the stark comments during a whistle-stop visit of the struggling South Island seaside tourist town of Kaikoura last week.
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After announcing another $13 million-$18m of funding to help prop up the ailing tourism hot-spots of Kaikoura, Mackenzie - Aoraki Mt Cook, Queenstown Lakes, Fiordland and South Westland, Nash told the Herald that they may face a long battle.