With the local tourism industry severely affected by the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, senior business broker and ex-motelier Ray Hart along with Gordon Fridge of LINK Hawke's Bay Central Plateau have set up an industry-wide fundraiser to raise much needed funds and provide support for moteliers and their valued employees whose businesses are on the brink of collapse.
“While many other businesses will be able to pick up and re-build within months of the lockdown being lifted, this cannot be the case for motels and other accommodation providers.” says Ray.
“International tourism which drives much of the accommodation industry will not be a reality for a year – or more and those who rely on corporate, or domestic markets still face uncertainty on if, or when this may be viable to return.”
Funds raised via the Give a Little page will be reviewed and distributed by an independent panel which includes a solicitor, an accountant and a finance broker who will scrutinise applications and decide on how the funds are used to support moteliers meet their fixed costs over this difficult period.
Ray says with such a significant number of motels not surviving this crisis, it is also the many other providers who will be adversely impacted, including businesses who provide computers, stationery, linen, cleaning products, tea, toilet paper, tools, machinery, paint and food products etc.
“All of these individual companies employ staff who themselves are consumers of goods and services and thousands of these jobs are at risk,” says Ray.
“A contribution to this fund may end up saving not just a motel, but any one of the above businesses and help keep New Zealanders in jobs.”
Ray says that while he acknowledges and applauds the contribution the Government has made to support the employees of New Zealand, if the business owners of motels are left to fend for themselves, redundancy in this sector will soar. A request for assistance has been made to Grant Robertson and Ray is looking forward to a positive response from his department.
