[ad_1]
The Auckland closure cost Dunedin tourism approximately $ 270,000 a day.
Newly released figures show the impact of Covid-19 on the city’s national and international visitors, with a report to be presented to the Dunedin City Council Economic Development Committee on Monday.
Dunedin Company
Larnach Castle is one of Dunedin’s most popular attractions.
It comes as the city was praised for a tongue-in-cheek tourism campaign, promoting the city as a ‘Plan-D’ destination for domestic travelers.
Figures released by Enterprise Dunedin, the city’s destination marketing arm, show that international visitor spending in the city was $ 187 million for the year ending July 2020, down 18.7%. compared to the previous period.
READ MORE:
* Alison Mau: The unspoken question that looms over our tourism industry.
* Coronavirus: Long time ahead before international visitors return after Covid-19
* New Zealand tourism ‘asleep at the wheel’
That reflected New Zealand’s drop in international visitor spending, down 18.35 percent over the same period.
On the domestic visitor front, spending in Dunedin was down 16.1%, compared to 9.3% nationally.
Enterprise Dunedin / Supplied
Ironic Marketing Campaign from Enterprise Dunedin.
An independent investigation showed that the city had out-of-pocket expenses of approximately $ 270,000 per day in August, due to the impact of the Covid-19 shutdown for Auckland. That was because no Aucklanders were able to visit the southern city, but it also restricted access from neighboring Northland and Waikato regions.
Enterprise Dunedin Director John Christie said this summer is likely to be difficult for the entire New Zealand tourism industry, including Dunedin, due to border restrictions abroad.
“Add to this the fact that cruise ship visits will not be part of the mix this year … it will be a difficult time for the industry and associated companies.”
While several key attractions received government support, through the Strategic Tourism Asset Protection Program, he said it was possible that some smaller operators would close or at least go on hiatus.
Earlier this year, the council voted in favor of Dunedin Railways, which included the popular Taieri Gorge excursion train.
Stuff
The Taieri Gorge railway has been suspended due to Covid-19.
Enterprise Dunedin continues to adjust its campaigns, based on Covid-19 alert levels.
Earlier this year, his $ 150,000 campaign, Dunedin: Plan D, won widespread praise.
” In my somewhat qualified opinion, this is the best tourism campaign on the market around Covid to date, ” wrote Nigel Douglas, CEO of New Zealand’s largest media agency, OMP, in sent emails. to Stuff under the Official Information Law.
Christie said the campaign succeeded in raising Dunedin’s profile as an attractive destination.
“ While we are still in the middle of campaign activity and have yet to do a full analysis, we have received great feedback from our operators who have had guests to book due to campaign or advertising activity.
