Regions worst hit by the drop off in Chinese visitors as a result of the Coronavirus will benefit from a one-off funding boost aimed at stimulating domestic travel.
The Government has signed off on a $1 million fund available to key regions most affected by the travel restrictions put in place for Chinese visitors, as a result of the Coronavirus.
Regional Tourism Organisations New Zealand executive officer Charlie Ives welcomed the new funding saying the key regions of Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown and Christchurch would be the primary recipients as they were experiencing the biggest financial impact as a result of the drop-off in Chinese visitors.
“This funding is much welcomed. These places are taking a serious hit as a result of the down turn in Chinese visitors, and it’s heartening to see the Government moving quickly to step in to help these regions mitigate the impact of reduced Chinese visitor numbers on industry and communities,” he says.
“While this is aimed at four key regions, we encourage collaboration with other partners to stimulate New Zealanders to travel.”
The fund aims to support regional activity that stimulates new travel plans for domestic travellers, and is a quick-fire initiative, with proposals worked up by mid-March, for travel completed by the end of June 2020.
“The industry is used to dealing with disasters and unforeseen impacts and I know there will be some great cross-industry ideas to come out of this," says Charlie.
"That said, we would all rather not be in this position as its hitting owners, employees and all those in the regions who support the tourism industry at what should be one of our busiest and most profitable times."
