It was a quiet weekend for Rotorua hospitality and tourism. Photo / NZME
It was a quiet weekend for Rotorua hospitality and tourism. Photo / NZME
Rotorua businesses are usually bustling with activity over Labour Weekend but this year has been a bust for many.
It's thought the combination of the Covid-19 case through the airport, bad weather and the biggest domestic tourism market still in lockdown - Auckland - meant visitors did not flock tothe city as they usually did this time of year being the first long weekend out of winter.
Tak Mutu, of Mountain Bike Rotorua, said business was down at least 80 per cent at the same time last year.
"Historically ... Labour Weekend is our second biggest weekend and Easter is our biggest."
It had been quiet in terms of people on the tracks and taking out rentals.
Mutu believed the positive Covid-19 case that flew from Rotorua Airport last week may have scared some people off as well as the lockdown and weather.
Tak Mutu of Mountain Bike Rotorua. Photo / NZME
He said many tourism operators that were still going were on the back foot, and the hardest thing was planning for summer around staffing numbers in the usual peak season.
Mutu said he was fortunate in that aspect as their staff was employed year-round.
"It's hard to plan for, but I mean, we've done it for a year and a half now. We just need to keep plodding along and hope everyone gets the vaccine. On the flip side, it can only really get better."
Reg Hennessy, owner of Hennessy's Bar in Rotorua and Hospitality New Zealand Bay of Plenty branch president, could only describe the weekend as "pretty ordinary".
He said they did not expect much given the lockdowns in Auckland and Waikato.
While the weather wasn't great, bad weather was usually something that helped the industry, he said.
With Labour Weekend often a glimpse into what summer might hold, Hennessy said that was not the case this year. "It's all guesswork at the moment."
He said his fingers were crossed that the summer would be better but it was "hard to be optimistic".
Good Eastern Taphouse manager Hannah Hereford said it was a "reasonable" weekend but not nearly as busy as they had expected.
She said the lockdown had a part to play in it and the bad weather meant people that might come over for a day trip decided against a trip to the city.
However, Hereford said there was a good number of locals who came to the taphouse and it was "lovely" to see them supporting local.
Hospitality NZ accommodation sector Bay of Plenty chairman and Tauranga's 850 Cameron Motel owner Tony Bullot said there were noticeable "very few" holidaymakers in the region.
"Previous Labour Weekends are full, this one is not."
This was on top of the already present drop in business of 50 to 70 per cent.
"It's not what we were hoping for, and we don't expect anything any more. The times are too impossible to predict at the moment."
He believed many accommodation suppliers around the region were on their last legs.
"People have been dipping into savings for a while now. At some point they stop being able to put more mortgage on their house or dipping into savings."
Bullot hoped the new resurgence payments would make a difference and said the previous payment covered little of the fixed expenses. For him, this included rent, insurance and rates.
Hospitality NZ accommodation sector Bay of Plenty chairman and 850 Cameron Road Motel owner Tony Bullot. Photo / NZME
Hospitality New Zealand Bay of Plenty regional manager Melissa Renwick said there would be a "gaping hole" in the turnover with two important regions in lockdown.
Aucklanders spent 26.6 per cent of the domestic tourist spend in the Bay of Plenty last year. "That, plus the Waikato spend will not be in the pockets of our hospitality operators," she said.
"There is no doubt that businesses will be left with a gaping hole in their turnover on what should be one of the busiest weekends."
She said the prolonged lack of domestic travellers was "really hurting" and businesses needed the community to get out, do some spending and "generally help boost morale to get through until Christmas".
Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service chairman Jaime Troughton said bad weather and regions in lockdown made for a quiet Labour Weekend for surf lifesavers.
The season officially started on Saturday and, while there was a decent surf running, Troughton said the water was still a bit cold and kept other keen swimmers off the beach.
"We're always hoping for fine weather. It's what we expected given we don't have domestic tourism at the moment," he said.
"With Auckland locked out of the Bay, it's really reduced the visitors and that's been reflected in the number of the people on the beaches."
The patrol also responded to first-aid calls on Mauao, which were minimal.
The beaches in Tauranga's Mount Maunganui were also quiet, apart from a decent surf run. Photo / NZME
Troughton said if Covid-19-related pressures continued, the surf life-saving season would be affected. These included the difficulty of lifeguards operating under Covid-19 restrictions; masks where social distancing isn't possible, reduced people in the surf tower, and physically distancing in the flags.
"It will affect things over the season if the Covid pressures continue."
Surf Life Saving national club & volunteer development manager Chris Emmett said some clubs will have reduced staffing or may not patrol due to Covid complications and club member availability.
He said the public need to take extra caution in the water in these instances and beaches will be red flagged, meaning no swimming.
As of Monday morning, police attended nine crashes in the Bay of Plenty area; three on Saturday and six on Sunday.
A spokesman said the tri-weekly numbers for Covid-19 compliance would not be available until Wednesday.
