Making the project work financially would have required a significant scaling back, which would have undermined the attraction’s purpose.
The new Northland attraction will still open this weekend despite the Omicron wave.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds has won the Northland Business Excellence EMA Best Not for Profit Award.
The Kauri Museum at Matakohe expects three out of four of the projects funded by a $3m Provincial Growth Fund grant to be complete by Labour Day.
Tourism businesses are getting ready in a number of ways, and for Auckland Seaplanes, it was just in time.
Tourism has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the $3bn three-year fund.
Cruising in NZ waters has been well supported over summer but there are clouds on the horizon, say operators.
Waitangi Day commemorations will be closed to the public but other major events are cancelled.
Bookings for accommodation on the Bachcare platform for the month of January are 17% higher than at the same point in 2020, the company says.
Northland’s move to the orange traffic light system overnight will be welcome relief to hospitality and accommodation venues across the region.
The surge of waves that hit Northland on Saturday night has affected the berths of around 40 boats at the Tutukaka marina but one tourism operator managed to escape direct damage.
Tourism businesses within a few hours drive of Auckland are saying better late than never, and hoping for the increase in traffic to continue as long as possible after the visitor drought in the second half of 2021.
The tsunami of Aucklanders that typified the end of previous lockdowns is yet to appear, say hoteliers.
The challenges keep coming for Te Tai Tokerau Northland but progress has been made with more to come in 2022, says Tania Burt, Northland Inc’s GM of destination.
Northland tourism and hospitality businesses want the rest of New Zealand to know that they are still open for business.
The only thing really missing, particularly in Auckland and Northland, is customers.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds occupies a unique space in the nation’s psyche and its profile as a tourism destination is slowly changing.
A new calf has been born in the bottlenose dolphin pod that frequents the Bay of Islands, just ahead of the implementation of a new marine sanctuary in the area.
Visitors to Northland over the holiday period will be critical to the future and wellbeing of the entire region, says Northland Inc chair Nicole Anderson.
The occupancy rate for the year to October was 39%, with 94% coming from domestic guest nights.
Kiwi North could be one of the earlier operators to see more custom in the post-lockdown era, says director Allie Fry.
A marine mammal sanctuary to protect declining numbers of bottlenose dolphins in the Bay of Island will come into force on 15 December.
Northland Inc chief executive Murray Reade has resigned after more than two years at Te Tai Tokerau’s regional economic development and destination marketing agency.
Restrictions will ease for Auckland from midnight Tuesday allowing some attractions and retail to open.
Operators now at level 3 say they have seen little business since Delta lockdowns started.
The top half of the Far North has gone into Covid-19 alert level 3 after two unlinked community cases were detected.
The Landing in the Bay of Islands will only allow fully vaccinated guests and visitors from 1 November 2021 with proof required on arrival.
The Bay of Islands is currently one of the most fully vaccinated small town tourist destinations in the country with more than 77.2% in Russell having had their full course, according to the latest Ministry of Health data.
The iconic Russell hotel has hopes for a booming summer if post-lockdown demand so far is anything to go by.
Auckland and parts of the Waikato currently in Covid-19 alert level 3 will remain there, but Northland will revert to level 2 from 11.59pm on Tuesday.
The BBC is seeking approval from the Department of Conservation to film New Zealand false killer whales and oceanic bottlenose dolphins for a new wildlife series to be broadcast in 2024.
Northland and the regions of Waikato at level 3 will remain there until at least 11:59pm on Monday 18 October.
All of the top third of the North Island is at Covid-19 alert level 3.
Enhancing the value of Tai Tokerau Northland’s visitor experiences is the focus of the region’s new destination plan.
The flights will give local tourists the opportunity to visit Whangarei for a short break and help boost our economy, says Whangarei mayor Sheryl Mai.
Applications for the second round of funding for the Northland Regional Events Fund will open 1 October, and for the Dunedin Regional Events Fund on 4 October.
Northland has a new source of direct flight visitors – Wellington.
Northland business leaders are encouraging locals to spend more in the region given that it may take time for Aucklanders to return.
The region will join the rest of the country south of Auckland at level 3.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has opened the Business Travel Register for businesses needing to send workers to the Auckland and Northland regions after other regions drop to alert level 3 on Tuesday night.
However, Auckland could stay at level 4 for a further two weeks, says Jacinda Ardern.
Regional economic development agency Northland Inc has announced the recipients of its first round for the Northland Regional Events Fund.
Northland and Christchurch have been named in TIME’s third annual list of the World’s Greatest Places.
A Predator Free Bay of Islands project is set to create 15 new jobs in the region when fully operational, the Department of Conservation says.
The decision to sell the Bay of Islands operator was a difficult one to make, says Entrada’s CEO.
The collapse in international tourism was the catalyst for talks, says Explore GM William Goodfellow.
Increasing protected sea areas from the current 9.8% to 30% has the potential to boost marine tourism, says a Northland operator.
DOC could restrict interactions with marine mammals and will assess the capacity for increased tourism under the new strategy.
Activities range from kite flying to weaving.
Key meetings attended by tourism minister Stuart Nash since taking up the portfolio in November 2020 include those with various taskforce bodies, local councils and industry representatives.
