Region’s tourism windfall
Tourist cash has helped keep Taranaki’s economy buoyant and some of the money has come from people lured to the region for the first time.
For the year to the end of July, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment figures show the tourism spend in the region was $314 million, up by 3 per cent when compared to the same time last year.
Of the total sum, $252m is from domestic visitors, an increase of 4 per cent. However, there had been a 1 per cent drop in income from international visitors, who racked up a total spend of $62m.
It’s a trend which had not gone unnoticed by Daniel Fleming, general manager of New Plymouth’s King and Queen Hotel.
He said about 10 per cent of new business at the hotel was from people who had never visited New Plymouth before.
‘‘I think we are seeing people coming here for the very first time, which is really exciting.’’
‘‘It’s something that we haven’t seen that much of before,’’ he said.
He said Taranaki was growing in reputation as a destination for visitors from the country’s bigger cities such as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
‘‘That’s very cool, that’s very promising to see that,’’ he said.
He said the ‘‘foodie’’ and art scene were real drawcards for visitors, including the Len Lye Centre. The centre, which opened in July 2015, registered 151,417 visitors in its first year.
‘‘It certainly put New Plymouth a lot more on the map,’’ he said.
Fleming said the decision to invest into the hotel’s expansion in 2016 had already paid off too.
‘‘We opened up another 11 rooms this year and we’ve seen them fill up pretty quickly,’’ he said.
He said while corporate business had taken a hit with the downturn in the oil and agricult- ural industries, the ‘‘leisure’’ market was definitely on the rise.
‘‘We’re starting to see some nice growth,’’ Fleming said.
New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young expected to see a continued increase, as the region was still ‘‘undersold’’ as a tourist destination.
‘‘I’m really pleased to see a 3 per cent lift, but there is still a way to go,’’ Young said.
He said events like Womad have attracted visitors to Taranaki in the past, but its growing reputation for arts and culture, complimented with its environmental attractions such as the mountain and coastal walkway meant the region was an attractive package for potential visitors.
‘‘It’s going to actually become a very sought after experience.’’
He said the planned improvements to State Highway 3 between Mt Messenger and the Awakino Gorge, which is set to start within the next two years, could also see an increase in coach tours making their way to the region as well.
Measures to address the rising number of passengers coming through the doors of the New Plymouth airport are also underway, with a $11m upgrade on the cards for the site in early 2017. New Plymouth District Council are due to consider options for the airport revamp on September 27.
Venture Taranaki figures show retail sales, accommodation and food and drink were the top three areas where the tourist dollar was spent.