Tourism industry gets a boost

Te Araroa Trail Trust executive director Matt Claridge said the number of trail walkers in 2023-2024 was actually lower than that of the previous year, but that was because of the backlog from Covid.

This year, approximately 2000 walkers had undertaken the entire trail, but it did not represent the whole season, nor did it include the walkers who walked only parts of the trail.

Last year, there had been more than 3000 walkers, Claridge said. The make-up of the trail walkers in general was 70% international visitors and 30% New Zealanders, and most chose to walk the trail from the north in Cape Reinga to Bluff.

Southern Comfort Backpackers Invercargill owner Merlin Warren said her business had near full occupancy during this season, but the business was operating at a slightly lower occupancy than the previous year.

Warren said the property was mostly popular with the trail walkers and cyclists.

Riverton Lodge Hotel owner operator Fiona Hikawai said, at their lodge, the trail walkers were now not just international but a 50-50 mix of international and Kiwi travellers.

The lodge’s occupancy, in the last three years, had been quite good, for a township with just 1600 people.

In December last year, a report on

“I’m quite pleased with the way things are going this season. The [trail] walkers really enjoy it at the lodge.”

Bluff Lodge manager Kay Cowper

Southland’s cycle trails and mountain bike parks found that the region was ripe to become a cycling tourism destination.

From the Catlins, Slope Point Accommodation owner Justine Parker said their business was more popular with New Zealanders but was not operating at full occupancy this summer.

There was a good number of people in the previous year because they were travelling around after Covid, but this year they had dropped off with the cost of fuel and living, Parker said.

They didn’t have families travelling “like we normally would”, Parker said, adding they also had a lot of last-minute cancellations over Christmas.

Her main business was farming, but “we just appreciate who we get in the door”, Parker said.