Mayor’s column: Rebuilding tourism

Visitors contributed more than a quarter of a billion dollars a year to the Nelson-Tasman economy prior to Covid. Our region’s sector ranked third after Queenstown and Rotorua in the proportion of regional GDP contributed by visitors.

The closure of our borders in 2020 and 2021 through the Covid pandemic devastated our tourism sector. The August 2022 storm did further damage. It has required incredible resilience by our tourism operators, accommodation providers and hospitality sector to survive.

This past summer, tourism has bounced back. Spending by international guests is at 91 per cent of pre-Covid levels, slightly behind the national average of 93 per cent. International guest nights are at 61 per cent of pre-Covid levels and significantly behind the national average of 82 per cent. This shows we still have work to do.

The Rutherford Hotel has reported a strong increase in international visitors this summer, but also concerns that domestic tourism is slow. They were particularly positive about the inaugural Spectacle running event that filled the mid-December hole. Council is supporting events such as the current Jewellery Week, Te Ramaroa – Nelson Light Festival, Arts Festival and Adam Chamber Music Festival to help attract visitors.

Council this month began piloting Visitor Information Ambassadors. There are 12 ambassadors. Four days a week, two ambassadors will be roving Trafalgar St helping people. This trial is in response to visitors wanting face-to-face assistance after the previous council closed Nelson’s i-SITE in 2022. My huge thanks to these retired volunteers.

The previous i-SITE was a victim of Covid and declining sales revenue as most services are now bought online. Any replacement i-SITE will require a new funding model. I currently favour a combined DOC-Council-Sanctuary info centre as part of the new Millers Acre Bus Hub that incorporates volunteer city ambassadors.

We also have initiatives under way to promote Nelson such as us featuring in Tourism NZ’s global Minecraft campaign, securing funding from Government for showcasing Nelson in Australia and the new Nelson Tasman edition of the Monopoly game. The reintroduction of kiwi to our Brook Waimārama Sanctuary next month is an exciting new attraction.

Rebuilding tourism is a key part of revitalising our city.