Press Release – New Zealand National Party Tourism destinations dependent on international visitors need urgent government action if they are to survive the Governments closed border, Nationals Tourism spokesperson Todd McClay says. It is appalling the Tourism Minister hasnt visited …
Tourism destinations dependent on international visitors need urgent government action if they are to survive the Government’s closed border, National’s Tourism spokesperson Todd McClay says.
“It is appalling the Tourism Minister hasn’t visited places like Te Anau, Franz Joseph, Fox Glacier and Haast since Labour came into Government in 2017.
“These are important tourist destinations wholly dependent on international visitors.
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Jackman Chiu/UNSPLASH
Walking access on to Franz Josef Glacier was banned in 2012. It is now only accessible by helicopter. Dire new projections for the region’s tourist sector have this week prompted local leaders to plead for government help. From March last year to September this year the region – including Franz Josef, Fox Glacier, Ōkarito, Whataroa, and Lake Moeraki – is projected to lose 84 per cent of its jobs, two-thirds of its businesses and 30 per cent of its population. One of the biggest drawcards for tourists on the West Coast was the ability to get up close to a glacier. Only a few years ago they could either take a short walk to the terminal faces or a guided walking tour directly on to the ice – options that are now impossible due to safety concerns amid melting ice. The glaciers are now only accessible by air, or viewable from a distance.