The first United Airlines direct flight from San Francisco to Christchurch landed on Sunday. It is hoped the service will bring a much-needed boost for tourism operators. Photo / George Heard
The first United Airlines direct flight from San Francisco to Christchurch landed on Sunday. It is hoped the service will bring a much-needed boost for tourism operators. Photo / George Heard
EDITORIAL
The sight of a Dreamliner passenger jet, adorned with a silver fern, landing at Christchurch Airport on Sunday – direct from San Francisco 11,100km away – was roundly welcomed by New Zealand’s beleaguered tourism industry.
United Airlines, which already flies into Auckland, has become thefirst US carrier going straight into the South Island, home of many of the prized jewels in New Zealand’s globally envied tourist crown.
Air New Zealand was the last airline to link Christchurch to the States but that service was grounded more than 20 years ago.
United’s flights should take off and bring much-needed, cashed-up American tourists to the Mainland, and its biggest centre, Christchurch, which has been afflicted by a nightmare decade.
Quakes, floods, fires, and a terror attack dealt a series of blows to the Garden City before the Covid-19 global pandemic dealt an almost killer shot.
With its doors flung wide open, Christchurch is hoping direct routes from United will help get the city - which acts as a gateway to the South Island, including the tourist mecca of Queenstown, as well as Kaikōura and its whale watching, the starry skies of the McKenzie Country, the glaciers, national parks and great walks – back up and running.
Queenstown is a jewel in the South Island tourism crown.
The ongoing rebuild from the devastating 2010-11 Canterbury earthquake sequence has resulted in new and vibrant tourism and visitor attractions, including the world-class Riverside Market, the spectacular year-old convention centre Te Pae (which generated $50 million in direct economic value in its first year), and within the next three years, a covered multi-use stadium and new home of the Crusaders.
Christchurch Airport has said that based on government data, United’s seasonal service is forecast to bring in $44m in visitor spending for New Zealand, with $32m for South Island regions.
It forms part of a big American push into New Zealand over the summer period, with Delta Air Lines entering the market into Auckland for the first time and American Airlines returning with an expanded service.
“The American travel market is buoyant, with Americans travelling widely again and we know they want to experience what the South Island offers,” said Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson.
The average American worker only gets 11 days of paid holidays annually, so when they come, they are prepared to spend and have a good time. The high value of the US dollar against the kiwi is also helping with our attractiveness.
Recent studies on outbound tourism expenditure rank the US second only to China.
Our tourism industry must be prepared and ready to welcome them with open arms – they are the shot we desperately need to help get our ailing economy back on the runway and ready for take-off.
