Great South chief gets stuck in
Southland has huge potential to grow its tourism numbers but more accommodation options and ‘‘experiences’’ are needed for visitors to enjoy, Great South’s new boss says.
Graham Budd, the former chief executive of Destination Queenstown, started his new job in Invercargill a fortnight ago.
The 60-year-old, who has bought a house in Invercargill, said there were limited accommodation options for tourists in Southland and more tourism experiences, alongside the likes of Transport World, were needed.
‘‘If we want to attract people to stay here as well as Queenstown . . . then we do have to give them reasons to stay and places to stay.
‘‘We have some fabulous places already, but you have to aspire to add to those and ultimately make this place a must-visit region and destination.’’
Budd, who has a staff of 42 at Great South, Southland’s regional development agency, says he suspects Southland’s stories have not been told well enough.
‘‘While some people know the opportunities to invest and work in this environment . . . I think it isn’t well-enough known by enough people. So communicating our proposition, if you like, is a big opportunity.’’
Budd, a father of four adult children, said Great South still had the ‘‘big goal’’ of getting 10,000 new people living in Southland by 2025. Census data indicated 4000 had arrived and another 6000 were required.
‘‘I think we are already on track to attract those people but clearly 10,000 is a big number and clearly we need to be keeping very focused on that.
‘‘It’s about providing attractors for people to want to come here.’’
Those attractors included jobs, activities, lifestyle, tourism and encouraging investment in existing and new businesses.
When asked if plans were in place should the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter close, Budd said many people would be talking about the effects of the smelter closing and where new industries would come from in the future.
‘‘We will be part of those conversations I am sure.’’