Ashburton's tourism promoters are more focussed on business support than marketing, as confidence in the sector suffers from Covid-19 symptoms.
Photo: LDR / Ashburton District Council
Christchurch NZ head of tourism Kath Low, said there is some optimism in the industry following the announcement of the borders reopening, however the major issue will be staff.
Christchurch NZ fronted the Ashburton District Council for its quarterly update last week which outlined the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 hampering the sector.
Its report included results from a survey of local tourism industry businesses that showed low market confidence.
Of the 34 businesses to respond, 23 reported having to refinance during the Covid-19 period to save their business, and 12 businesses said they were considering selling up.
The confidence in a return to normal business was low, with the survey undertaken before changes to the border restrictions were announced, with most suggesting it would take at least six months, although some were hopeful of a good winter if/ when the borders reopened.
Some businesses declared staffing to be the biggest factor.
"We are paying the correct wage, but there is a massive demand, so they want more. We cannot find staff willing to work for the wages that we can afford," one business said.
Councillor Stuart Wilson asked given the expected surge of incoming tourists when the borders re-opened, how prepared and capable was the industry.
Low said the expectation was that, like last year, the first rush of arrivals would be visiting friends and relatives, followed by the leisure market.
However Low said, as the survey showed, staffing was "a real challenge".
"Our hope is that there will be an influx of those young people whose OE's have been put on hold for the last few years and they will want to make the rush to New Zealand."
However, councillor John Falloon said the big question in that hope is if Immigration New Zealand allows the work visas, as given "some of the idiot decisions Immigration have made to date, we could be holding out for a long time".
While the industry hopes to be buoyed by the return of international tourists, Low said they will continue to focus on the domestic tourism market.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air