Top of the south works as marketing for region

Tourists don’t see the boundaries between regions, so why try to market them separately, says Destination Marlborough general manager Jacqui Lloyd.

Lloyd was talking about a marketing collective to promote the top of the south as a tourism destination, including the Marlborough-kaiko¯ura, Nelsontasman, Hurunui and West Coast regions. ‘‘We work as a collective across the top of the south to encourage people to experience all our regions, and it makes sense.

‘‘Our budgets are too small to try and do it on our own. It’s better if we work together.

‘‘If we can get people who land in Christchurch to turn left rather than right, it’s a win.’’

Destination Marlborough held its Big Day Out on Friday where local operators and travel agents from around New Zealand and Australia could ‘‘speed date’’ and find out what’s on offer.

It was held at the Awatere Memorial Hall, in Seddon, to promote the future Whale Trail cycleway from Picton to Kaiko¯ ura.

Whale Trail trustee and Destination Kaiko¯ura chairperson Lynette Buurman said cycle trails were a big driver of domestic and international tourism.

‘‘We are one of the last regions to actually offer a trail experience, but it’s never too late, and what we will have will be something exceptional,’’ Buurman said. ‘‘We are hoping to qualify as a Great Ride and get more support from a national perspective.’’

Destination Kaiko¯ura manager Lisa Bond said they had started working more closely with Marlborough. ‘‘It’s an opportunity for us to really embrace the assets that we have around us, and what we have together is the coastal corridor that complements both regions.

‘‘We’re looking forward to the cycle trail, because cycling is beneficial in so many ways, health wise, emotionally, mentally... And it’s a way of slowing down your travel. So we’re looking forward to that, and we are also looking forward to the Sudima Hotel opening in October,’’ Bond said.

Abercrombie & Kent Australia products manager Gabrielle Mccarthy had flown from Sydney for her first Big Day Out. Abercrombie & Kent specialises in luxury holidays.

‘‘It’s so good to connect with trade again, and connect with friends and learn what’s new and what’s happening. There is a lot of optimism. It’s exciting just to feel that the industry is coming back and that our international clients are coming back.

Lloyd said, off the back of Covid, some cellar doors had decided to close or hibernate and a number of bed and breakfasts had been sold to private owners.

‘‘But there has also been a lot of staff changes or places that have changed their model, if you look at Allan Scott who just reopened again or what was Giesen [cellar door] is now Boomtown Beer Garden, so there are other things coming up in places.’’

Lloyd said it would take time for tourists to come back, but that was a good thing. ‘‘A lot of people haven’t got the staff, and if you look at the travel companies, they have not done any business for two years, so operators, hospitality providers, everyone needs to just have the time to build the staff up,’’ Lloyd said.