Whanganui tourist operators excited to see internationals once again

The Waimarie crew are looking forward to welcoming international tourists once again. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Whanganui tourist operators are excited at the prospect of welcoming international visitors once again after more than two years under the Covid-19 cloud.

Fully vaccinated tourists will be allowed into New Zealand without the need for managed or self-isolation from 11.59pm on April 12.

International students and temporary visa holders are also free to enter from April 12.

From May 1, vaccinated travellers from visa-waiver countries and those with valid visitor visas will be able to arrive.

"Closing our border was one of the first actions we took to stop Covid-19 two years ago. It did the job we needed. But now that we're highly vaccinated and predicted to be off our Omicron peak, it's now safe to open up," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

Whanganui & Partners visitor industries strategic lead Paul Chaplow said businesses had been missing international tourists and had also been significantly impacted by the effects of the Omicron outbreak on domestic travellers, so this was very welcome news for locals and the economy.

"Whanganui had excellent tourism growth leading up to and during the first year of the pandemic, and our visitor industry can be assured by the strength of Whanganui's reputation as a destination of choice," Chaplow said.

"We know that the drop in international visitor spend has affected our local industry during the pandemic."

Accommodation rates across Whanganui have continued to go up and down across the last two years.

Chaplow said in January 2022, Whanganui accommodation providers recorded only 225 international guest nights. In January 2021, that number was 537.

The recording of occupancy rates by the Accommodation Data Programme (ADP) started in June 2020, when Whanganui recorded 991 international guest nights.

The ADP defines the measure as the number of international guest nights spent in short-term accommodation units.

Although borders have been closed, there have been international visitors who have gone through measures to travel.

Paul Chaplow, strategic lead visitor Iidustries at Whanganui & Partners. Photo / Supplied

Prior to Covid-19 arriving in New Zealand, Chaplow said internationals made up around 20 per cent of visitors to Whanganui.

Australians accounted for about 40 per cent of that number.

"We are eager to see our visitor industry benefit from international border restrictions easing and we are confident visitors will be warmly welcomed as they experience Whanganui's renowned manaakitanga."

Whanganui River Adventures owner Ken Haworth said they were thrilled to hear the announcement.

Although they had been supported well by Kiwis over the last two years, allowing international tourists into New Zealand again could only provide a boost.

"We are not an operator that has been too badly affected, getting to see the internationals again is a huge bonus.

"We are looking forward to it, to be honest."

Haworth said they had been down on numbers for the last two years compared to times before Covid, but had been amazed at the local support over that time.

"Because of the Bridge to Nowhere, we have had that icon that Kiwis know about and a lot of people who had it on their bucket list have come to see, it so that has been a bonus."

It had been a bit of a mystery over the last two years when the border would be opened to tourists again and to finally have a date was a relief, Haworth said.

"We are making progress. That is what I would put it down to. We just have to move on."

Whanganui Riverboat Centre manager Phil Pollero said it was great the borders were reopening.

"We welcome all tourists to Whanganui, including those wanting to travel on the Waimarie, and the immediate and ongoing uplift this will provide to our tourism and hospitality providers."

The Waimarie had a record season in 2020/2021, carrying more than 10,000 passengers. Pollero said they were nowhere near reaching that number this season.

"Naturally Kiwis have been reluctant to travel across borders and some have curtailed their normal experience of local tourism and hospitality activities during Covid levels.

"In saying that, we are extremely grateful to those locals and Kiwis who have come out and sailed with us whilst the various Covid control mechanisms have been in place on the vessel."

He said although it would take a while for tourism to reach pre-Covid numbers, the move to open the border sent a strong message that it was safe to return to some normality.

"Hopefully those local tourism/hospitality industries that have survived the last two years will soon receive some relief as tourists slowly return. It would be nice to see Whanganui tourism and hospitality sectors unite and plan together to maximise the local benefits afforded by the border opening."