Festival brings in $4.9m
Visitor's to Taranaki's major garden festival splashed out in the region's shops, eateries and hotels despite it being the wettest year in memory.
From October 26 to November
4, the annual Powerco Taranaki Garden Festival attracted 3164 people to Taranaki and while they were here visitors spent
$4.9 million, according to the just-released Berl economic impact report.
‘‘It just shows the out-oftown visitors committed, attended, stayed and spent,'' Suzanne Porter, the chief executive of Taft, which runs the event, said.
Visitor nights in Taranaki during the 10-day festival equated to 12,015 and all up there were
50,176 visits to festival gardens. Also, $2.4 million in GDP was generated in the region during the festival.
Porter said there were two other notable statistics – that 31 per cent of people were visiting the festival for the first time and
69 per cent were repeat visitors. ‘‘The new and the repeats, equals growth. We are reaching new markets and we are not coming down the other side of the bell curve yet.''
In relation to 2017 – the festival's 30th anniversary, delivered in mostly fine weather – this year's event compared favourably.
‘‘We are absolutely delighted with the outcome considering this is the worst weather our organisers have ever encountered for the festival duration,'' she said.
Even better, the festival runs at an off-season period. ‘‘So, we are bringing in people who wouldn't normally come into the region at this time.''
Co-owner of Social Kitchen Karen Prichard said there were a few special events that gave the central city restaurant a boost and the festival was one of them.
It was the same at Ozone Coffee Roasters, director of business and innovation Karla Gichard said. ‘‘Especially in the mornings before a lot of the visitors would head out to gardens, people would come in to get coffee and start the day.''
Gichard said the festival was brilliant for business and Nice Hotel and Table Restaurant owner Terry Parkes agreed.
‘‘It's the tiny festival that's starting to roar,'' Parkes said. "It's really turned into a national and international event.''
It also makes a big difference in terms of spending in the hospitality industry, he said.
‘‘They stay here and eat, and they stay longer.''
Parkes said his hotel had a full house and people returned each day with shopping bags and plants.
Garden festival manager Tetsu Garnett said the outcome was a great way to start her new role as event organiser.
‘‘I'm extremely proud of the result, the quality of our gardens and the comments from our garden visitors.''
Even in the wet, the visitors were committed to experiencing what Taranaki had to offer. ‘‘They just got out and did it. The refreshed events programme was also well received, and most offerings were sold out and a few were close.
Te Henui Cemetery's debut in the festival was enjoyed by visitors – and the media, being covered by radio and TV.