Friends from Hawke's Bay Sam McCarthy (left), Delia Gillies and Rylee Diack enjoying the festivities. Photo / Warren Buckland
Friends from Hawke's Bay Sam McCarthy (left), Delia Gillies and Rylee Diack enjoying the festivities. Photo / Warren Buckland
Businesses have cashed in on a welcome boost of visitors to Napier during the popular Art Deco Festival.
A tourism head says the festival was held at an important time for many businesses struggling under the impact of Covid.
Organisers did not say how many visitors they estimated travelled tothe region for the five-day festival which concluded on Sunday, but stated it was a "good turnout".
"The festival has a long tradition of attracting visitors to the region to celebrate Napier's and the region's Art Deco era heritage," festival director Greg Howie said.
"The spirit and enthusiasm locals and visitors brought to the streets of Napier this year has been overwhelming."
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While the number of events and visitors to the region was down on previous years, due to Covid restrictions which prohibited any large gatherings, organisers reported about 5000 tickets were sold and more than 50 events still went ahead during the festival.
Hawke's Bay Tourism CEO Hamish Saxton said it was a good boost to the tourism industry.
"We don't have any data streams through yet, but anecdotally feedback has been that visitation to the region was up," he said.
"Our accommodation providers saw an uptick in stay nights and Napier i-Site reported an increase in visitors from out of the region.
A group of friends pose for a picture during the festival. Photo / Ian Cooper
"We also know that other tourism businesses, such as gannet and winery tours, picked up business as well from Art Deco visitors."
Saxton said it was a vital event for Hawke's Bay and came at a good time.
"It was fantastic to see Napier alive with the music, fashion, motor vehicles and spirit of the roaring 20s," he said.
"Festivals and events like the Art Deco Festival are critical to our visitor economy.
"Most obviously because they provide an injection of money that filters through retail, hospitality, event organisers, venues, light and sound businesses and entertainers," he said.
"The successful delivery of the Art Deco Festival gives some hope at a time when the visitor economy and events industry in particular desperately needed it."
He said what was meant to be a big summer of events in Hawke's Bay, from December through to May, had been severely impacted by Covid restrictions.
Under the 'red' traffic light system, gatherings must not exceed 100 people.
"While visitors are still travelling to the region despite event cancellations, it is not in the numbers we would expect if we were at an 'orange' light setting."
Deco City Discoverer owner Mark Scofield, who operates two eye-catching Art Deco buses, as well as other transport services, said it was great to have a group of about 18 people using his services on Saturday for the festival.
"I drove them out to Te Awanga Estate and they spent a couple of hours out there all dressed in their deco finery, and then we cruised into town."
He said the group was a mix of locals and out of towners and they had a grand time.
He said generally during the Art Deco Festival he would be booked out most days of the festival, with his art deco buses, but bookings were much quieter this year.
He said since the move to red, most of his bookings and tours had fallen through.
The Art Deco Festival was cancelled in 2021 due to Covid making last week's festival a special return.
The Art Deco Trust is looking forward to bringing Winter Deco to Napier from July 15 to 17.
