Aotearoa adventures beckon
In the olden days, last year, I learnt two things: how to turn over a room quickly between guests at the Airbnb we started on our rural property, and how enjoyable it is to hang out with international and domestic travellers. But then the pandemic hit and the merry-go-round stopped. Since March, our pretty room with the crisp white linen has, like so many others worldwide, lain empty.
There’s scarcely a corner of the internet that isn’t filled with grim stories of how Covid-19 has shredded lives and livelihoods, especially in the tourism industry, which fell faster and further than many other sectors. Pre-pandemic, tourism supported more than 10 per cent of the global workforce, from the bartender mixing a pina colada at your favourite Fijian resort to the pilot who flew you there and the farmer who grew the pineapple for your drink.
In New Zealand, the number of people directly employed in tourism earlier this year hovered around 8.4 per cent, or one in eight Kiwis. I’m too scared to think what that figure might be now.
Fortunately, humans are defined by their mobility, by the promise of exploring somewhere new. So while you might not make it to Fiji this winter, you can still experience the joy of packing a bag and leaving your house. New Zealand is blessed with some of the world’s most spectacular scenery and, now the Government has pushed play on domestic travel, we’re able to enjoy it.
As part of Stuff’s Back Your Backyard campaign, we’re proudly cheerleading for domestic travel and the experiences, encounters and memories that don’t require a passport but do throw a lifeline to the local tourism industry.
On pages 24-25, I’m walking the talk with somewhere close to my heart – Wellington. You might spend most of your time in our nation’s capital constantly smoothing down your hair – it is, after all, the world’s windiest city, but what Wellington lacks in the weather department, it more than makes up for with amazing food, coffee, attractions, and accommodation.
Here’s to exploring our backyard, and to welcoming visitors again.