Cathedral Cove, seen as a "hero attraction" by Destination Hauraki Coromandel, has been affected by rockfalls and its walking track is closed at present. Photo / Tourism Coromandel
Cathedral Cove, seen as a "hero attraction" by Destination Hauraki Coromandel, has been affected by rockfalls and its walking track is closed at present. Photo / Tourism Coromandel
Visitor spending in the Coromandel plummeted in the first half of 2023, a report has revealed.
Electronic card spending decreased by $60 million, and total regional spending was down 25 per cent in the January-June period, usually the busiest time in the region, when compared with 2021-22.
Tourism promotion organisation Destination Hauraki Coromandel has outlined the financial challenges and opportunities facing the region’s economy after the 2022-23 summer was severely affected by weather events.
Region-wide visitor revenue, which included cash and online spending, was down $90m for the first six months of 2023.
The damage to State Highway 25A, a major thoroughfare in the peninsula, the closure of the walking track at Cathedral Cove, described as a ”hero attraction” by Destination Hauraki Coromandel, and the lack of a ferry connection from Coromandel to Auckland were cited as contributing factors for the decline in tourism revenue.
The popular summer link to Coromandel was now redundant after Fullers360 confirmed in August the service would be shelved, the ferry operator blamed a shortage of skilled maritime workers and “tough operating conditions”.
In its latest annual report, Destination Hauraki Coromandel said the Coromandel was “the worst-performing region in New Zealand” at a time when growth in travel across the country had been recovering.
Destination Hauraki Coromandel general manager Hadley Dryden said at the recent annual meeting of the Regional Tourism Organisation for Hauraki and Thames-Coromandel districts the focus was very much on the challenges exposed by the severe weather events in early 2023, and the imperative to seize opportunities to build back better.
An artist's impression of the new bridge reconnecting SH25A in the Coromandel. The project is expected to be finished by April. Image / Waka Kotahi
“The financial year started well with the team writing the region’s Destination Management Plan, funding from MBIE allowed a full upgrade of the official regional visitor website and a third Where Kiwis Holiday summer campaign, which was tracking well.”
“The storms in early 2023 and ongoing bad weather and road closures left Hauraki Coromandel communities in a demoralising situation.”
This had an immediate and devastating impact on many businesses and jobs. Destination Hauraki Coromandel ceased campaign marketing and adapted the work schedule in response to cascading events, following a simple recovery plan based on business resilience, regional promotion and transport linkages.
“Recent announcements that both the Cathedral Cove walkways and Fullers Coromandel ferry service will not be in operation over the coming summer season raise real concerns that Hauraki Coromandel will continue to lag into 2024-25 as the rest of New Zealand continues to recover.”
Dryden said the plan for the coming summer was for a full summer campaign, set to kick off from Labour Weekend, using funding received from Thames Coromandel District Council and supported by Hauraki District Council, and stimulate enough visitation to limit ongoing revenue gaps.
He said Destination Hauraki Coromandel continued to “advocate strongly for a new funding model for regional tourism organisations and the implementation of destination management plans, with less reliance on local councils to fund the investment required”.
“Hauraki Coromandel is ideally positioned to progress the community’s ambition for tourism to deliver a net positive future — where tourism gives more than it takes.
“However, we cannot achieve material progress in isolation.
“Working together we can seize the opportunity to make good out of a disastrous year.”
