Central Otago tourism operators can expect a boost to business following the announcement Australian visitors can return to New Zealand shores from mid-April.

New Zealand’s border will open to vaccinated Australian’s from 11.59pm on April 12, in time for the Easter holiday weekend and the Australian school holiday break, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Wednesday. 

Tourism Central Otago general manager Dylan Rushbrook said the announcement had given those involved in the visitor economy certainty. 

“Immediately that brings a huge release of pressure on business owners as they can now see an end to what has been a very long and dark tunnel.

"But, equally no one is expecting a flood of Australians. 

“It will take time for those markets to re-establish themselves and that will give time for the industry across Aotearoa to scale up to meet the demand.

Tourism Central Otago general manager Dylan Rushbrook said Central Otago has become more appealing to the Australian market in the last two years. PHOTO: Supplied

“Our cycle trails have gone next level, wineries have enhanced cellar door offerings, our hospitality sector has been thriving and we know [this] appeals to both the Australian and domestic audiences.”

Recent research around market perceptions showed 69 percent of Australians surveyed felt Central Otago was the perfect place to slow down and relax. 

Dylan said as a region we need to be careful of thinking we're competing against Queenstown and Wanaka, or any other neighbours for that matter.

“We're all unique destinations in our right and we have collective appeal to a much wider audience, growing the pie for everyone. 

"As part of the wider Otago/Southland region Central Otago is a geographically blessed visitor destination."

He said there were not many other places in the world where you could be within a day's drive of lakes, mountains, fiords, native bush, wildlife, world leading food and beverage outlets and "awesome tourism experiences".

Dylan’s advice to local operators is to keep doing exactly what they have been doing over the past two years. 

“Market research showed visitors to Central Otago in the past 12 months found the offering to hit the mark, with 71 percent stating Central Otago was a highly appealing destination and 29 percent stating it was somewhat appealing, versus regional benchmarks of 57 percent and 34 percent respectively.“ 

On Thursday, Tourism Minster Stuart Nash said the Government was making a $49 million ‘kick start’ available for South Island businesses to gear up for the return of tourists.

Operators in Queenstown, Wanaka, Fiordland, Kaikoura, the glacier region of Westland and Mackenzie District-Aoraki Mt Cook are potentially eligible for the new support. 

Applications to the fund will formally open on April 1 and will then be assessed and processed by local agencies in each region. 

“Tourism operators in five key South Island tourism regions have worked extraordinarily hard to stay connected with the visitor economy and the travel, culture, hospitality and recreation sectors,” Stuart said. 

“Nevertheless some had to reduce opening hours, scale-down activities, go into temporary hibernation, or switch their energies into other projects.

“Businesses can now start preparing their applications and will need time to obtain verified financial records that show their pre-Covid income.  

“Tourism businesses that existed prior to the global pandemic are eligible for grants worth two weeks of pre-Covid revenue, between $10,000 and $50,000 each, if they had a 50% percent drop in annual revenue compared to 2019-2020 levels."

Stuart said the grants could be used to refresh facilities or marketing, train and hire new staff, or source new stock in readiness for opening.

“The kick-start fund will be administered on the Government’s behalf by local agencies, or lead entities, in each of the regions.

"The organisations are well-placed to connect tourism operators with the support they need locally and work with them to help scale up.”

A new advertising campaign was also launched by the Government this week to show Australians that New Zealand's unique landscapes, hospitality and the friendliness of Kiwis was now ‘within your wildest dreams.’

“Apart from three months of quarantine-free travel in 2021 when around 160,000 Australians came here, we have missed our Aussie visitors.

"We cannot wait to have our mates back.

"Bringing forward the date will accelerate our economic recovery."

The campaign highlights some of the most popular experiences sought out by Australian visitors, such as fine dining, jet boating, cycling through vineyards and even star gazing in a hot tub in internationally-renowned dark sky reserves.

Read more about the Tourism kick start fund and the criteria for it here. 

Tourism NZ's is using imagery such as this featuring one of Central Otago's dark sky reserves in Australia, in its new campaign. PHOTO: Supplied

Watch the video here

Getting ready with you Central to Welcome back Tourism and our Aussie friends and families