Parking changes a worry for tourism operators
Tourism operators are worried about the prospect of losing parking outside a popular Tekapo attraction.
The Mackenzie District Council has applied for $294,000 from the Government to tackle increasing pressure on infrastructure at the Church of the Good Shepherd.
Its application to the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Enterprise proposed a new bus car park on the western side of the town’s footbridge to encourage pedestrians, rather than vehicles, to visit the church, community facilities manager Garth Nixon wrote in the application.
New walkways and paths would be built to improve views and photographic opportunities.
Mackenzie Mayor Graham Smith told councillors on Tuesday he had been contacted by bus firms and one raised concerns that, as the bus was in town for only 20 minutes, tourists could miss seeing the church.
Haka Tours founder Ryan Sanders said on Thursday that reducing hasty access to the church would be ’’negative’’.
Many companies’ itineraries did not spend a night at Lake Tekapo, so he anticipated a ‘‘mad rush’’ for visitors who wanted to do many activities in a small timeframe.
GreatSight bus tours marketing manager Amy Cooper said two of its four daily services made a short stop at ’’this world-famous scenic highlight’’. The company wanted that to continue, but would accept the decision if it was made, she said.
Bus and Coach Association vice president Sherryl Otway suggested removing easy site access might be keenly felt by some industry players.
Data suggested more than 3000 people visited the church every day over summer. That amounted to 606,000 people over the season.
The association had already told government that more needed to be spent to help tourism communities provide infrastructure as small ratepayer base places such as Lake Tekapo needed to find a lot of money.
The proposed project was expected to cost $420,000. If successful, it was expected to be complete in April 2018.