Chris Sturgeon: Destination Kaikoura Chair on the high number of tourists visiting the town

A tourism leader in Kaikoura says they're having their busiest summer season since a major earthquake almost a decade ago.  

Visitor numbers reached about 220 thousand in November, up nearly 30 thousand on the year before. 

Destination Kaikoura Chair Chris Sturgeon told Andrew Dickens tourism and hospitality players says things are booming. 

He says there's a positive feeling throughout the town, and says Kaikoura's beautiful landscape offers tourists a true New Zealand location. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
Now.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
As tourism numbers begin decided to get back to pre
COVID levels, there's one Kiwi town that's soaring above the rest,
and that is Calkoda. Cal Kota is absolutely packed. It's
thought to be their busiest summer since before the twenty
sixteen earthquake. And it's not just international visitors. Kiwis are
showing up in strong numbers. So I've got the destination.
Cal Coda chairperson Chris Sturgeon with me. Good morning to you, Chris.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Kyoda, Kyoda, Good morning to you. How are you this morning?

Speaker 3 (00:41):
I'm very well. How's your weather down in Calcota today?

Speaker 4 (00:44):
Well, actually it's a pretty it's overcast and raining today.
It's been for the last couple of days, a bit
like the rest of the country. But it's only short,
short term.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
But just how busy is it?

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Oh? Look quite unbelievably, it's it's really really busy. You know.

Speaker 4 (00:59):
Feedback from local operators has been this is one of
the biggest summers that we've had since our earthquake back.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
In twenty sixteen. It's such a positive feeling throughout the town.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
And why are you seeing so many people come back
to kai Kura. Are they using it as a stop
on a greater South Island trip or are you specifically
the thing to come and see.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, I think certainly, I think it's a bit of both.

Speaker 4 (01:21):
But honestly, you know, our visitors to New Zealand, which
you know from an international aspective, but also domestic, Kaikoura
is one of many stops along their way. I mean,
of course Kikora has such unique natural assets that really
is attractive to international tourists, but you know, we get
lots of domestic tourists coming from visitors from Canterbury and

(01:43):
Nelson and Wellington and all sorts of places. So kay
coulda offers that true New Zealand location with such a
beautiful landscape and amazing milana and amazing landscapes.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
How are the businesses coping with the capacity? If you've
got a lot of people and suddenly you're operating at
a much higher level than you were operating on two
years ago, I mean, how are they coping with that?

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Ah?

Speaker 4 (02:06):
Look, I think like any environment, we're pretty resilient bunt
and and I think the welcoming view of having a
number of tourists back in town as almost overshadows the
fact of, yeah, it's tough. And you know, when you
get into the tourism business and hospitality, you know you're
going to have a busy summer and you're going to
it's going to be tough. So yep, look, there's there will,

(02:27):
no doubt be some very tired people at the end
of the summer. But we're always with a smile and
a face welcoming visitors to the town. And it's you know,
it's it's not without its challenges and and staffing is
always a challenge, but you know, we put on a
we put on a really good face and they deliver
an amazing experience.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
And got any future events that we can come down
and see, Oh oh, there's.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Always lots of things happening down here in Ca Coulder.

Speaker 4 (02:54):
You know, there's one thing which I really suggest to
sitting in these Zealanders is you know, I'm not sure
if you know, but cack Colder became a dark slowed
sanctuary back in September twenty four and as we start
to head and go into the into the cooler months.
You know, it's an amazing location to come down and
look at the at the night sky. And there's actually
lots of lots of a big push for activities over

(03:17):
the shoulder season and going into going into winter, so
lots of things come here to but even honestly come
down and spend some time cycling, getting out into nature
and actually.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Just slowing down a bit and spending a little bit
of time here.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
Good stuff. We are so happy, Chris that Kaikoura is
back after the COVID and the earthquakes. Well done and
go well

Speaker 1 (03:37):
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