Hawke’s Bay & Gisborne

Hawke’s Bay Airport has reported revenue of $12.7m for the year to June 2023, up 89.6% on the previous corresponding period.

The support will go to Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti Gisborne and Tai Tokerau Northland.

Hawke’s Bay Tourism chief executive Hamish Saxton has won Business Events Industry Aotearoa’s 2023 Outstanding Contributor Award.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has secured another $1.92m to repair and upgrade closed sections of the region’s Great Rides network.

Hawke’s Bay tour operator Gannet Safaris Overland is opening for its 2023/24 season this weekend with a new package to help regeneration on the Cape Kidnappers peninsula.

The Department of Conservation has apologised and is making changes to the way it handles complaints and manages permits following kiwi deaths at Cape Sanctuary.

Napier Port has reported revenue from cruise ships to $5.3m for the nine months to 30 June 2023.

Napier’s Winter Deco Festival is an international affair this year, with ticket sales attracting visitors from the United States and Australia.

Hawke’s Bay Airport is forecasting more than 692,000 passengers through its terminal and nearly $14m in revenue for the year to June 2026.

Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz has lifted the state of emergency across Tairāwhiti.

A state of emergency has been declared in Tairāwhiti by Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz.

Tauranga-based Sunair will launch two new weekday services between Napier and Wairoa, and Napier and Gisborne to retain key transport links while State Highway 2 continues to be vulnerable.

All state highways around Tairāwhiti, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay have been reopened with the successful completion of the Hikuwai bailey bridge.

Hastings has secured the hosting bid for the 2024 Australasian Airports Roundtable for its first event outside Australia.

Napier’s Ocean Spa pool and gym complex has reopened to the public after a significant upgrade.

The Napier Art Deco Trust is gearing up for a special Winter Deco festival in July.

Napier Port has reported cruise revenue of $5.1m for the six months to 31 March 2023.

Hawke’s Bay is now the 12th Great Wine Capital of the world, putting it amongst world leaders such as Bordeaux in France and Bilbao in Spain.

A $1bn cyclone funding recovery package will help rebuild crucial road and rail links wiped out by summer’s extreme weather, as well as install some future flood protection measures.

A crucial transport link between Wairoa and Napier is now open, three months after it was damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Gannet Beach Adventures permanently shut its doors last week after a four year struggle to stay open.

State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier is on track for reopening this weekend.

The iconic Cape Kidnappers operator shuts its doors for good, frustrated at ongoing disruptions.

The summer iteration of Hawke’s Bay’s Food and Wine Classic (F.A.W.C!) event is being postponed until 2024.

More than 100 operators and 185 buyers will be at Eden Park in Auckland today.

Boaties and jetskiers around Gisborne and the East Coast are being urged to keep an eye out for logs and debris around the sea.

Napier’s Open Spa will reopen to the public on 15 May following upgrades to facilities, lighting, security, and staff recruitment.

Hawke’s Bay Airport is offering ticketless parking for travellers from the end of April.

The additional funding is to meet demand from businesses trying to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle.

Hawke’s Bay Airport has achieved one of the highest possible levels of carbon accreditation from the Airports Council International.

Taupō’s future as a destination will depend on being able to shift from a largely economic model in favour of a regenerative one, according to its new destination management plan.

Easter brought music superstars and thousands of visitors to Hawke’s Bay but it proved a mixed bag for some tourism operators.

Napier has finished its cruise season with 62 vessel calls for the 2022-23 period and only 14 cancellations due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

Tourism operators are centre stage in a new campaign to attract visitors to Hawke’s Bay over the Easter and school holidays.

The government is funding $29m for Tairāwhiti local roads, about 60% of the estimated $50m to clean up the region following the summer’s extreme weather, according to Gisborne District Council.

Hawke’s Bay wineries are back in business following Cyclone Gabrielle, with most cellar doors and restaurants open and ready to welcome visitors over Easter.

GoBay will resume hourly bus services between Napier and Hastings six days per week from next Monday.

State Highway 5 between Taupō and Napier will reopen to all traffic on Monday after weeks of repairs after the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle in February.

The government is providing a further $25m in grants to help more businesses in cyclone-affected regions with the clean-up and to get them back up and running. 

The Hawke’s Bay Cyclone and Flood Recovery Grant has approved support of over $2m to businesses affected by the extreme weather events in February.

The state of national emergency for Tairāwhiti And Hawke’s Bay ends today after 28 days in effect.

Regional parks around Hawke’s Bay remain closed as safety and access restrictions remain in place from the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle in February.

Air New Zealand will extend its Gisborne – Napier service until 9 June to support the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions’ focus on recovery.

Hawke’s Bay Airport is adding additional capacity to its carpark this week, with 44 new spaces available from this week.

Just under $500,000 will be paid out to Hawke’s Bay communities, individuals, families, community organisations and marae affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

“In the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions, thousands of people are still unable to return to their homes due to flood damage.”

Attracting the ‘right’ visitor at the ‘right’ time is crucial, writes Trust Tairāwhiti’s regional tourism manager.

Applications for up to $40,000 in grants are now open for Hawke’s Bay businesses the have suffered from cyclone Gabrielle.

Visitors are asked to check with their accommodation providers to confirm operating conditions.

Ships will not draw any water or power from the region or drop waste during their visits.