‘A slow trickle’
International visitors still scarce at Whanganui tourism spots
There’s light at the end of a long tunnel for local tourism operators. New Zealand’s borders have been fully open since last July but Canoe Safaris owner/operator Phillip Collins said it’s not a case of things immediately getting back to normal.
“International tourism is starting to come back. It’s a slow trickle though, and it hasn’t come back to prepandemic levels at all,” Collins said.
“That’s tough because we’ve got to catch up on two years’ worth of losses. It’s hard to catch up when we’re still working on this year.”
The Ohakune-based company offers guided trips on the Whanganui and Rangitīkei rivers, along with canoe and kayak hire.
Collins said tourism was a perishable product, not something sitting on a shelf to sell the next day.
“Once today is gone, it’s gone forever.
“It’s not just if tourists will come back, it’s whether they have the same amount of money or they’re interested in doing the same things.”
Further downriver at Whanganui Scenic Experience Jet, owner Claire Wickham said she was cautiously optimistic about this season.
Prior to Covid-19, international visitors usually came in February and March.
“I think it’s too early for us to say if things will return to pre-Covid times,” Wickham said.
“At this stage, bookings are beginning to come in but the pattern over the last couple of years has been quite last-minute.
“People are still a little hesitant to book something a wee way out.”
According to Minister of Tourism Stuart Nash, about 470,000 to 530,000 international visitors were estimated to arrive in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington airports in January and February this year.
Wickham said most recent international visitors had been former locals returning home to visit family.
“They haven’t been able to do that for three years.
“Traditionally, a typical split would be 65 per cent domestic and 35 per cent international. Whanganui has never been an international hub.
“I know it [tourism] has been going nuts in Queenstown, they have been really, really busy.
“With who, I don’t know, but the age-old problem is trying to encourage people to come out of those traditional spots. It’s tricky.”
Nash said spending by international tourists increased 30.6 per cent in the year to March 2022.
The total tourism expenditure recorded in that 12-month period was $26.5 billion, an increase of $704 million from the previous year.
“We expect an increase in the coming year of the number of people directly employed in tourism, with over 20,000 working holiday visa holders having arrived in New Zealand,” he said.
“In the year ended March 2022, tourism directly employed 145,032 people. Compared with the previous year, this was an increase of 3,615 people,” Nash said.
“It’s a fantastic career choice and we hope to see more Kiwis join this industry.”
Smaller operators such as Canoe Safaris couldn’t afford to look at longterm trends in the tourism industry because they might not make it there, Collins said.
“Swings and roundabouts are actually quite a big deal for us.
“Politicians and so-called experts trumpet all this good news but it’s not overly relevant really, they are just trying to do their own thing for their own purposes.
“It’s not trickling down and it’s not affecting the grassroots levels — all the small businesses.”
Staffing levels also needed to be contended with.
“I don’t know where they all went but there’s a lack of people around to do jobs,” Collins said.
“Sometimes our capacity is capped
by a lack of ability to do it [tours], and other times you don’t get the customers inquiring or calling up.
“One thing that is good for the tourism industry is the US dollar being high and the NZ dollar being low. Some industries don’t want that, especially exporters, but it does make New Zealand a bit more attractive to people.”
Unique Whanganui River Experience was welcoming the occasional international visitor at the moment, director Hayden Potaka said.
More were booked for February and March.
“These are small numbers, it’s not like before Covid-19,” he said.
“This is better than a couple of years ago though. You can see independent travellers along the road, doing the Te Araroa trail, and sometimes you pick them up.
“They want to explore Whanganui while they’re here and that’s really good to see.”
Rising costs of operations are another challenge to face in 2023, especially when it comes to fuel.
Petrol users will keep their 25 cents per litre discount until February 28, and then 12.5 cents per litre will be added until the end of March.
The 36 per cent reduction to road user charges (RUC) will not be extended past January 31.
“We’ve got canoes to cart and the higher prices on petrol and diesel certainly puts a bigger load on. The margins get smaller and sometimes the operators have to pass that on to the customer,” Potaka said.
“That could be another factor that may deter people from coming — the ones that could afford it get priced out of the market. It’s just like housing.
“We need to adjust to the cost of living and try to make it as painless as possible for people.”
Wickham said fuel was her largest operating cost.
“It’s a constant balance. You don’t want to price yourself out of the market.”