Briefs

Two new event facilities, The Millhouse and The Hub, have opened at Hobbiton Movie Set.

The campaign attracted a record number of 425,200 digital visitors to the campaign website, generating 12,400 referrals to operators’ booking sites. 

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the avalanche risk was assessed as high.

The walking and cycling pathway would stretch from Westhaven to Albany.

Nine new events have been added to the Elemental AKL festival line up.

The Department of Conservation is reminding visitors to the Mahaanui district in Otautahi/Christchurch to follow conservation laws. 

Wanaka 4WD tour operator Ridgeline Adventures is a finalist in three categories at the 2020 New Zealand Food Awards.

Auckland’s move to Covid-19 alert level 3 on 12 August saw passenger movements fall sharply at Auckland Airport.

Tourism Export Council of New Zealand’s Xmas Symposium 2020 has been confirmed for 2 December 2020 at Heritage Auckland.

The New Zealand Police will host the International Association of Women Police’s annual conference in 2023.

Queenstown will host the new 12-day festival RemoteTogetherNZ festival this November.

The Hullabaloo Children’s Arts Festival will take place in Northland this October, and feature several New Zealand family entertainers.

The Government is providing $11.6m for an upgrade of Timaru’s iconic Theatre Royal and the construction of a new connected heritage museum and exhibition space.

More than 110,000 Air New Zealand seats were snapped up after the airline released 160,000 seats for under $50 each.

Extending current Covid-19 alert level restrictions across the country could be the nail in the coffin for struggling operators, says Hospitality New Zealand.

Popular tourist route Milford Road, SH94, remains closed due to avalanche risk.

The Ministry of Transport is still encouraging physical distancing on public transport even though it is no longer mandatory.

CPG Hotel Group’s new Hotel Fitzroy, Curated by Fable has opened in Auckland.

The $200m Park Hyatt Auckland has officially opened, marking the debut of the Park Hyatt brand in New Zealand.

Tourism New Zealand will hit the road in October to update industry on its work and its long-term strategy.

Auckland Council has unveiled its new seven-member board of directors to oversee the merger of Regional Facilities Auckland and ATEED.

The Department of Conservation has finalised its Tahr Control Operational Plan for 2020/21 after meeting the Game Animal Council.

Great South is co-ordinating a two-day Dark Sky ambassador training course on Stewart Island/Rakiura.

Changing how tourism is taught in schools is one of the winning ideas from the Young Enterprises ‘Entrepreneurs in Action’ business competition.

The firm owned Real Time Booking Systems Limited and Queenstown Visitor Guide Limited, both of which have also gone into liquidation.

The unemployment rate is expected to rise over the next two quarters due to the impact on tourism from restrictions at the border and the end of the wage subsidy.

New marine infrastructure in northern Te Tairāwhiti on the North Island’s East Coast could help support tourism ventures, says the Government.

The Government has changed the assessment criteria for employers wanting to request a border exception for workers under the ‘other critical worker’ category.

It would provide a $5m grant to Tourism Industry Aotearoa to ensure the TRENZ conference could be held in 2021 and 2022.

INFLITE’s Mount Cook Ski Planes will mark 65 years in operation with a long weekend of birthday celebrations at its Pukaki Airport base at Aoraki Mackenzie.

Air New Zealand has grounded its Boeing 777 fleet until at least September 2021 due to the ongoing impact of Covid-19.

The $19m support for Auckland and Northland from the Government’s Regional Events Fund was a welcome “shot in the arm”, says Auckland mayor Phil Goff.

Spending on travel and tourism services suffered in August 2020 due to Covid-19 alert level 3 restrictions in Auckland and alert level 2 for the rest of New Zealand, says Stats NZ.

Police are reminding trampers to keep themselves safe as the weather warms up.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds is running a number of events from the 14-21 September celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week.

Dart River Adventures in Glenorchy will reopen from 3 December.

Those breaking the conservation laws that protect natural places and native species may face fines as the Department of Conservation’s new enforcement system rolls out.

Air New Zealand will hold a virtual annual shareholders meeting on Tuesday 29 September because of Covid-19-related social distancing.

Sealing the Pouto road would unlock tourism and business opportunities for Kaipara locals. 

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Mutunga has gained a $48,144 grant for a range of work in the Taramoukou Conservation Area in the northern Taranaki.    

The Kāpiti Food Fair is hoping to go ahead thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Government’s Domestic Events Fund and $10,000 from Kāpiti Coast District Council.

Tūpare Gardens and the Dawson Hotel in Taranaki visitor sites have been named 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award winners.

Hamilton Airport will re-establish the Hamilton-Palmerston North route following a new partnership with Originair.

Tourism New Zealand’s ‘Good Morning World’ campaign has been awarded Ad Campaign of the Year at the AdNews Agency of the Year awards.

Around 1 in 14 workers say they expect to lose their job or business by mid-2021, says Stats NZ.

Air New Zealand carried 714,000 passengers during July 2020, down 56% on the same month last year.

Visitors spent $12.6m in Whanganui during July, which was more akin to spending over summer holidays than a typical winter month.

The investment would create 42 new jobs and enable native plants and wildlife to thrive in Wellington.

A new date would be announced this week and all existing registrations would automatically be transferred.

The Government will invest $8.5m to restore a historic reserve at Ruapekapeka Pā in the Far North.