Pipe bands tipped to boost economy by $3m

Hosting the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships in Invercargill could be worth $3 million to Southland’s economy.

The ILT City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band’s president, Brendan Copeland, said there could be 1500 people involved with the championships.

Forty-nine bands including two from overseas – Brisbane and San Diego–Seattle – have entered for the event.

Working on those figures, Great South’s strategic projects general manager, Steve Canny, said the direct expenditure of people participating at the event would be $1.8m and that would have an economic impact of $3m in Southland.

‘‘It’s a valuable event for the region,’’ Canny said. ‘‘National and international events attract people that wouldn’t necessarily come to the region.’’

Visiting bands started arriving on Monday for the two-day

event at the Queens Park cricket ground on Friday and Saturday.

Hospitality New Zealand committee member Maria Wallis, of Invercargill, said pipe band participants and supporters had booked out almost all the accommodation in the city this week.

After checking details of Invercargill’s main accommodation businesses online, Wallis said: ‘‘There’s not a bed to be had in Invercargill on Thursday night.’’

Her business, Moana Court Motel, had received bookings for the champs in March last year.

The Invercargill Licensing Trust’s marketing and sales manager, Angee Shand, said its accommodation businesses were close to full.

The trust had helped to bring the New Zealand championships back to Invercargill following a

15-year absence. At the championships held in Nelson in 2017, ILT chief executive Chris Ramsay, Invercargill mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt and City of Invercargill band officials made a strong case for Invercargill to host the event in 2020.