The Whanganui and Ruapehu tourism industry is hopeful for the summer tourism season.
New cycle trails, a renovated art gallery and increased marketing bring new hope for Ruapehu and Whanganui’s tourism this summer.
Whanganui’s regional tourism organisation, operated through Whanganui and Partners, recorded a rolling average growth of 7.6% for the year ended August 2024, the second highest in the country behind Kaikōura at 8.5%.
Whanganui and Partners’ visitor industries strategic lead Paul Chaplow attributed the growth to the regional tourism organisation’s funding boost from the Government in 2020 and 2021 that allowed the economic development agency to “significantly increase” its marketing efforts.
“We believe this was a significant factor enabling Whanganui to continue to grow while the majority of other regions experienced negative growth,” Chaplow said.
This year, for the first time, Whanganui and Partners attended Trenz, New Zealand’s largest international tourism business event.
“We intend to continue this type of industry event attendance as it gives us the opportunity to get Whanganui on to the itineraries [that] travel and tour agents create for their customers,” Chaplow said.
Another marketing opportunity Whanganui and Partners contributed to this year was the “Little City of Cool” feature article in a magazine with a bi-monthly audience of about 262,000 across New Zealand.
Whanganui and Partners received additional government promotional funding totalling $180,300 for six events which aim to bring more visitors to the district.
The events are the Cooks Classic, Whanganui Vintage Weekend 2025, New Zealand Masters Games, HoopNation Junior Showcase, Suzuki International Series, and the Awa Adventure Run.
Chaplow urged business owners to invest in their marketing, including the simple tasks of posting regularly on social media and keeping their website and Google listings up to date, particularly with opening hours.
“Marketing is key to getting customers in front of your business,” he said.
He suggested store owners should try to open on weekends and public holidays to make the most of the tourism season.
In 2021 Whanganui received Unesco City of Design status and Whanganui and Partners has now created a quality seal to use in promotional material which Chaplow said had “attracted a lot of positive attention”.
“We know this visual identity will be noticed by visitors over the summer and we are encouraging all galleries, cultural institutions and civic centres to adopt and use the tohu to promote Whanganui’s City of Design status and elevate our reputation as a creativity and design leader.”
Products and attractions made or operated in Whanganui can also apply to use the seal through the City of Design website.
“There are few places in the world with a population our size that could boast having over 30 galleries including the spectacular Te Whare o Rehua [Sarjeant Gallery]. And we have such a beautiful city centre filled with heritage buildings, buzzing cool cafes, boutique shops, restaurants and bars and the best Saturday market in the country,” Chaplow said.
Operators of the Waimarie Paddle Steamer have also recognised the significance of highlighting local businesses and creatives.
“We’ve just teamed up with Papitai Gin to commemorate the Waimarie, Paul [Harris] from Derelict Coffee has crafted us a coffee, which is bloody amazing I might add, and the food that we use we source locally as much as we can,” Waimarie manager Jen Britton said.
“So, it’s local producers and local Whanganui businesses that are coming out through our story as well, because we are such a great platform for being able to profile Whanganui in a slightly different way.”
In January the Waimarie will celebrate 25 years since returning to operation, and 125 years since the vessel’s debut.
Britton said one of the ways the business had been able to thrive was because of its fluidity, by changing with the seasons and trying new things.
“We’ll try something if it seems like a good idea and if it doesn’t work we’ll learn from it or not do it again.”
One of the new events the Waimarie had hosted was a Speakeasy Cruise during Whanganui Heritage Weekend in 2023, which was inspired by stories Britton heard of people’s grandparents attending speakeasies on the boat during the prohibition era.
The event’s success meant it was repeated for the 2024 Heritage Weekend, with more planned for the future.
The Flying Fox owners, Jane McCall and Kelly Stephens, found that having a unique and adaptable attraction brought more success in the tourism industry after maintaining visitor numbers through the non-lockdown periods of the pandemic.
“Our guests come to stay for many reasons and we have found that diversifying beyond ‘just accommodation’ has been beneficial in the tougher economic times,” they said.
“Some guests come for a quiet rural retreat and technological detox (we have no TVs or cellphone reception) and some to experience the activities on the river such as jet boating and canoeing. We also run creative workshops, so some visitors come to participate in these and develop their artistic skills.”
The Flying Fox also partners with local businesses to offer accommodation and activity packages such as the Mountains to Sea Trail and jet boating with Whanganui River Adventures.
The primary change McCall and Stephens noticed following Covid-19 was the rise of independent travellers, instead of tour groups, as many small tour guide companies failed to survive the pandemic.
Hayden Potaka, owner of the Unique Whanganui River Experience and chairman of the Whanganui Regional Māori Tourism Organisation, agreed and called for increased support for small businesses in all sectors.
“The industry in general still needs support. There was a surge of support inside the industry post-Covid but I think some of our small to medium businesses still need the greater support,” he said, referring to financial support from the Government.
Other sectors were also struggling, Potaka said.
“You can see more and more shops in other areas up for lease in terms of small businesses, so someone’s got to start looking after the little guys.”
The general national economic downturn was also affecting potential travellers who were struggling with finances, he said. This raised concerns about people being put off travelling this summer, with Potaka already noticing visitors opting for the cheapest options.
However, a potentially challenging season was not too concerning for the Unique Whanganui River Experience with visitors prioritising the river and unique cultural experiences, he said.
“The awa is a drawcard; there’s a lot of people wanting to come experience the story and what it’s all about. There are visitors asking to do the shorter trips and the one-day excursions just to get a taste of what Whanganui is about.”
In the Ruapehu district, hopes remain high for the summer tourism season.
“Last summer saw internationals returning really nicely. Still not back up to the levels of pre-Covid but I think that’s standard across the whole of New Zealand,” Visit Ruapehu general manager Jo Kennedy said.
There have been concerns for Ruapehu’s snow sports season in the past few years with weather issues and the liquidation of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) in 2022 leaving questions surrounding the future of the skifields.
In April the Department of Conservation granted Pure Tūroa operation of the Tūroa skifield and it had a successful first season.
Kennedy said the Whakapapa side of the mountain also performed better this winter than in 2023.
“Heading into the summer, everyone is pretty excited. Tongariro Alpine Crossing is looking really strong; accommodation bookings are looking strong, particularly from the international market.
“We are still working hard to get people down for the summer for walking, hiking, jet boating, rail tours and all that stuff. A lot of people think we’re just a ski area but there’s so much here in summer,” Kennedy said.
This included the $25 million Sky Waka which takes visitors 2020m up the mountain on a gondola, with the Knoll Ridge Chalet and volcanic walking trails accessible from the top.
A new attraction expected to bring many visitors to the region was the Te Ara Mangawhero section of the Mountains to Sea cycle trail, with an estimated 50,000 users per section annually and bringing $36m a year to the area.
“Tourism is really starting to thrive down here,” Kennedy said.
From February 2024 to September 2024, the Manawatū-Whanganui region consistently ranked seventh out of 16 regions in terms of domestic tourist electronic card spend, with $51.4m spent in September according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
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