A daily wrap of all the main developments in the Covid-19 Delta outbreak as New Zealand is plunged into lockdown for the fifth time. Video / NZ Herald
The latest Covid-19 lockdown has been described as a "punch in the face" by a motel owner and another says businesses are set to lose thousands of dollars in revenue.
New Zealand moved into a snap lockdown on Tuesday after a man from Auckland tested positive for Covid-19. As ofyesterday afternoon there were seven community cases.
Rotorua's Cleveland Thermal Motel co-owner Brij Gurm said their phone had been ringing off the hook with cancellations.
"We were over 90 per cent full for this weekend," he said.
"It's like a punch in the face because this money we lose, we never get back again. We haven't recovered from the lockdowns last year.
"We're behind by hundreds of thousands of dollars and that's the money we would have used to refurbish and renovate our rooms [and] improve our facilities for our guests."
Co-owner of Rotorua's Cleveland Thermal Motel, Brij Gurm, said the phone had not stopped ringing with cancellations. Photo / Supplied
Rotorua Moteliers Association chairman and owner of the Arista of Rotorua motel and Capri on Fenton, Mike Gallagher, said motels would have been "frantic" yesterday "cancelling a lot of bookings". STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG
STORY CONTINUES "It will be thousands of dollars worth [and] it is going to hurt."
Gallagher said as long as the lockdown only lasted "about a week or so", motels would be okay.
"The ones I really feel for are the attractions and restaurants," he said.
"A lot of these guys are just getting themselves on their feet again [and] starting to get some business. There's been some really good local support [and] from the domestic market.
"It's going to be a real kick in the guts for them to get going again."
Tauranga's Wanderlust NZ owner Sarah Meadows had six cancelled bookings overnight but was most worried about group bookings for the AIMS Games.
Wanderlust NZ owner Sarah Meadows said normally75 per cent of their market would be international tourists. Photo / George Novak
At present, the games are set to go ahead from September 4-10. The event is an inter-school sporting competition for young sportspeople across New Zealand and the wider South Pacific.
"This was our light at the end of the tunnel to get us through the winter ... so if we lose those bookings … it's just heartbreaking," Meadows said.
"It puts a lot of pressure on us. We can't operate if all our group bookings get cancelled.
"We've pivoted as hard as we can to capture the domestic market but if we lose all these group bookings … it makes it very hard for our market, which is the youth adventure market, to survive."
Tauranga's Colonial Court Motor Inn owner Kris Stamatakos said his bookings had gone from 100 per cent to about 20 per cent for the next two days and next week.
Elsewhere, Tauranga's Academy Motor Inn owner Simon Driessens said the motel had gone "from being full to nothing".
"Everyone's gone home."
Rotorua Moteliers Association chairman Mike Gallagher. Photo / Andrew Warner
However, Driessens urged people to try to be positive about the situation.
"It is what it is – everybody's in the same boat."
Driessens planned on using the time to do some painting and catch up on maintenance.
Hospitality New Zealand accommodation sector Bay of Plenty chairman and 850 Cameron Motel owner Tony Bullot said most motels were staying open but were "running at very low capacity".
"Lockdowns always decimate accommodation," he said.
Bullot said his main concern was everyone obeying lockdown rules "so that we can get out of this and continue as we were".
