South Island regions hardest hit by the closure of international borders are the focus of a visit by Tourism and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash over the next two days. 

Stuart will visit Southland and Central Otago to discuss challenges facing regional economies. He will travel to Te Anau, Invercargill, Queenstown, Arrowtown and Cromwell. 

“I will hear first-hand from local mayors and councillors, small businesses, employers, community organisations and iwi about how they are responding to the impact of closed borders,” Stuart says. 

“I also would like updates on the roll out of tourism support and infrastructure investment from the Tourism Recovery Package, Provincial Growth Fund and other sources. 

“I have been upfront that mass-scale international tourism is unlikely before 2022, but we are working hard to open a Trans-Tasman bubble as soon as we can in 2021. 

“We have never stopped working on the issue of the trans-Tasman bubble. 

“Although we have had community cases here, and there have been community outbreaks in Australia which have slowed things down, the work has never stopped. We remain committed to it.” 

Under the Tourism Recovery Package (TRG), 27 businesses in the Otago region, most of them around the Lakes, received $17.46 million in cash grants. 

Separate multi-million dollar concessionary loan offers are interest-free and don’t need repayment for two years. In addition, destination marketing agencies received a further $2.4 million to promote domestic tourism and events in Queenstown, Wanaka, and Central Otago.

Outside the TRG, approximately 60 infrastructure and regional economic development projects in Otago are receiving $98 million from the Provincial Development Unit (MBIE). This will help diversify regional economies and create new jobs.

Infrastructure projects include $6.5million for the Clutha Gold Cycle Trail and $8million for upgrades to the SH6/SH8b intersection at Cromwell 

“We are on-track to vaccinate the majority of Kiwis against COVID19 by the end of this year, after the deal to purchase extra doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine,” Stuart says.

“Mass vaccination against COVID19 is a crucial step for our tourism industry and wider economy.

“It reinforces our approach from the very beginning of the global pandemic, which was to emphasise a strong health response as the best economic response.

“We responded immediately with a $400 million dollar support package for tourism last year. Wider support through wage subsidies, resurgence payments, and interest-free loans are also available,” Stuart says.