Whale Watch to get $1.5m aid while tourists kept out

Whale Watch Kaiko¯ura is getting $1.5 million in rescue funding to stay afloat while New Zealand’s borders are closed to international tourists.

The bailout will come from the Government’s Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme, part of its $400m package for the tourism sector.

Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis said Whale Watch Kaiko¯ura supported hundreds of jobs and other sectors in the local economy through accommodation, hospitality, retail and other activities.

By “safeguarding this key destination tourism asset”, the Government would support the Kaiko¯ura community.

Whale Watch was one of the key tourism assets NZ couldn’t afford to lose, he said.

It’s the second business to get a package from the programme. Discover Waitomo was given $4m last week.

A further $20.2m was given to the 31 regional tourism organisations.

Applications for the scheme close on June 18.

“We will continue to work with tourism operators to protect those assets that are vital to our sector’s recovery and our economic rebuild,” Davis said.

Whale Watch is majorityowned by members of the local Nga¯ti Kurı¯ hapu¯ — through the Tukete Charitable Trust — with the wider iwi group Nga¯i Tahu holding a 43 per cent share.

The iwi’s tourism portfolio includes other big-name tourism businesses such as the Shotover Jet, Franz Josef Glacier Guides, and guided walks on the Hollyford Track.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts said the industry was awaiting an announcement on the transtasman bubble, with Australia being New Zealand’s largest market for international visitors.

The organisation estimates tourism spending in April fell more than $2 billion. Last April, tourism brought in $2.5b while this year the April total was about $240m.

“The road to recovery is going to be a long one. Tourism, along with other sectors of the economy impacted by the closed border, is going to need ongoing government assistance,” Roberts said.