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This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
Queenstown has gone from being described as the jewel in tourism’s crown to a community grappling with vitriol, and told that it is getting what it deserves.
Businesses say it is not just the iconic destination that has been in the crosshairs of hate online, but the tourism sector is also facing a lot of criticism.
Here’s just a taste of the social media hatred that Queenstown businesses have faced recently:
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“Queenstown has made their own bed and now they have to lie in it. There is no pity for someone who, like everyone else, was overcharged in that city. “
“Yes, we understand. Queenstown didn’t have a Plan B and now the place is suffocating. Boo hoo. The whole ghastly place functioned on the basis that the international tourism market would never change. So he did. This constant news about pompous Queenstown business owners bemoaning their lost business is getting a bit repetitive. Most of us don’t really care. “
“Queenstown, call me a river, then set up a speedboat scam operation.”
The owner of the Villa del Lago hotel, Nik Kiddle, has heard it on radio talk back, and anecdotally from other operators and online.
“I thought the whole government approach to managing Covid-19 was to support each other. This is definitely not supporting each other. I just don’t understand why New Zealanders want to do that, ”Kiddle said.
“We have been making such a strong contribution to people’s enjoyment of this country for so long. We are now paying the highest price for health protection, and we continue to welcome both New Zealanders and international travelers, so why try to kill us? “
Tall poppy syndrome was a phrase that kept popping up, he said.
“People here feel that we are being victims because we were a brilliant success for a long time. The main light of New Zealand’s largest service export sector and people will not necessarily always accept it as a positive.
“We believe that we have made a fantastic contribution to the well-being of this country both in terms of public health and economic growth.”
He challenged perceptions that Queenstown was unaffordable, saying it was a misconception and that companies had worked hard to serve and welcome New Zealanders to the resort town.
Many operators that RNZ spoke with acknowledged that the vitriol was there, but said they did not want to remove the neck or feed it.
While online vitriol is not new, the volume is increasing.
Eve Lawrence, General Manager of Haka Tours and ANZ Nature Tours, has experienced it first hand.
“I get it all the time on LinkedIn with comments that say ‘tourism is getting what it deserves.’ But I think it’s crazy and this comes from people who don’t really understand the value of what we offer, ”said Lawrence.
She suggested that a campaign was needed to show what tourism contributes to communities and the environment.
Before the pandemic, tourism was the country’s main source of export earnings, worth approximately $ 42 billion a year and employing about 15 percent of the workforce, either directly or indirectly.
“Being completely vilified by people who have very little understanding of the industry as a whole is frankly a bit condescending.”
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Chris Roberts, CEO of Aotearoa Tourism Industry (File photo)
Active Adventures CEO Wendy van Lieshout said her business had escaped hate online.
“I don’t think people generally realize that most of the tour operators here in Queenstown in particular are small family businesses. We are not talking about large corporations here. We are not different from anyone else or any industry … we are not different at all, and we are just trying to make ends meet, so be nice. “
There has been more talk that tourism is going through tough times in recent weeks, he said.
“Now we are at a stage where we know what happened and why. We all need to find our own way through it in some shape or form, and it’s certainly not very constructive for that negativity because it’s hard enough without it. “
The Aotearoa tourism industry executive director said receiving such vitriol would be irritating to businesses.
“Look, how I feel about companies when they are a personal goal. They feel like they have been kicked when they are down. They are struggling to survive, to keep their businesses going, and it is obviously devastating for them to take direct personal abuse for being in the tourism industry. That doesn’t reflect what most New Zealanders feel, ”Roberts said.
Manaakitanga is a core asset to the tourism industry, Roberts said, and trolls couldn’t take that away from businesses.
“We have to put it in perspective that there is a vocal minority that is probably best ignored.”
Totally Tourism owner Mark Quickfall said he hoped people would do their own research on Queenstown prices.
“After 40 years in tourism here, I have never seen Queenstown priced more competitively to suit the [tourist]. We accept that it is not easy without the international visitors coming to the city, especially during the summer, ”Quickfall said.
“But we accept it. We are in business. That’s what comes when you run a business, you take the good with the bad. But if you are a visitor, this is not a bad time to come. “
Since borders will remain closed for the foreseeable future, companies ask for a little kindness and compassion as they try to resist.
This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
