WEST COAST TOURISM INDUSTRY UPDATE
Kia ora,
On behalf of the Development West Coast Tourism team, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a holiday season full of peace, joy, health, and many unforgettable journeys in 2024.
The busy season is already upon us, so we have put together this newsletter to provide you with key information about the West Coast that we hope you’ll find useful.
We’ll also be sharing more great content on our social media channels, who knows, you may even be featured!
Media
Trade
Events
News
Oparara Basin Waharoa Unveiled
A waharoa (gateway) marking the entry to a viewpoint of the Oparara Basin north of Karamea was unveiled on the 16th of November signaling the completion of a major upgrade to visitor facilities.
Pounamu Pathway – Māwhera Pā Experience Centre to open
Get ready to immerse yourself in the incredible experience that is the Pounamu Pathway.
Step into the world of Pounamu Pathway, where West Coast history, culture and legends converge to create and immersive adventure like no other in collaboration with the world-renowned Weta Workshop.
Book your tickets now and be part of the Pounamu Pathway experience at the Māwhera Pā.
Our Donation to Trees That Count!
We’re excited to let you know that the 111 native trees that we donated from the 2023 West Coast Tourism Summit have been planted by Canoe Creek Conservation Project.
The Canoe Creek Conservation Project is a privately funded and managed conservation project on a 36ha rural block located right here on the west Coast, only 10 kms south of Punakaiki.
Thanks again for being apart of the movement to see millions more native trees planted throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. We are making a real difference!
December Road Closure – Arthur’s Pass Route
Due to unfavourable weather forecasts, works and accompanying road closures on Wednesday 13 and Friday 15 December have been POSTPONED. Works remain planned for Thursday 14 December, and a ROAD CLOSURE will be in place 10am-6pm between Otira and Arthurs Pass Village on Thursday. One further day of work under closure is now planned for early next week.
“Drivers will be able to use SH73 between Otira and Arthur’s Pass village up to 10 am each day and after 6 pm at night, Monday to Friday,” says Mark Pinner, Canterbury/West Coast System Manager, Waka Kotahi.
You can read further about this from Waka Kotahi NZTA - HERE
Keep in Touch
Here’s a quick reminder of our Tourism team:
- Patrick Dault, Destination & Tourism Manager
- Lara Thomas, Tourism & Events Executive
We are here to help, so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need support becoming trade ready.
Please take a moment to update us with what’s happening on your end too. We need to know, experience, and understand your business and product offering so we can help connect your products with the world. Pictures, information, factsheets, and product updates are all very useful and can be included in our Trade E-Newsletter which gets distributed to agents world-wide.