Queenstown

Queenstown is open for business following extreme weather and despite the resort’s ongoing drinking water issue.

Foresty slash was swept into upper Queenstown during the biggest downpour in 24 years, which prompted the declaration of a state of emergency.

Cancellations and the expense of water workarounds are among the challenges for the resort’s operators.

Queenstown will be the most popular destination on Air New Zealand’s domestic network during the September school holidays.

Queenstown operators also report a rise in staff illness recently, though the cause is unclear.

The finance spokespeople from the four major parties stake out their positions on the proposal.

The future of the Whakatipu basin’s public transport is now in the community’s hands as Queenstown Lakes District Council seeks feedback on a 30-year plan.

Queenstown Lakes District Council has appointed Dr Leslie Van Gelder as chair of its Climate Reference Group.

The George Hotel in Christchurch and Hulbert House in Queenstown have won accolades at the World Travel Awards in Ho Chi Minh City.

DQ and LWT say the proposal is not aligned with the district’s new regenerative tourism approach.

A new Queenstown bylaw has put in place new rules around events and commercial activities in public spaces.

Singapore-controlled Queenstown Hotel Investments secures consent for its purchase of the luxury Nugget Point Hotel.

Queenstown-based BLACK Tourism is now offering a James Bond Aston Martin experience to cater to the luxury market.

LyLo has opened the doors to its revamped Christchurch and Queenstown accommodations.

QT Queenstown has opened an art gallery on the sixth floor of its hotel.

Queenstown Airport is reporting solid support for further investment in upgrades to its airfield, terminal, ground transport links and safety enhancements.

Work is set to begin to upgrade a key walking and cycling route into Queenstown.

Queenstown Airport’s air traffic tower is lighting up in rainbow colours to celebrate the Winter Pride Week.

Queenstown’s hotels are finishing the winter months on a new high, according to figures from STR.

Queenstown Lakes District Council, which owns 75.01% of QAC, will be paid $11.66m in dividends for the year, which the airport operator equated to nearly $390 per ratepayer. Auckland Airport, which owns 24.99% of QAC, will be paid $3.94m.

RealNZ has sought Commerce Commission approval for its purchase of Southern Discoveries’ Spirit of Queenstown vessel based at Lake Wakatipu.

The operator says it has made significant safety improvements following a fatal 2019 accident.

Its $25k from the govt fund will go towards connecting tourism and goods exporters.

Queenstown Lakes District Council is seeking feedback on the management of the Glenorchy Airstrip on the banks of Lake Whakatipu.

International passenger movements at Queenstown Airport rose to 85,813 in July 2023, up 28% compared with the same month in 2022.

The iwi-owned operator of Shotover Jet and Dart River Adventures says the deal would not significantly lessen competition.

The arrivals, spread over three months, will stay in Auckland, Queenstown, and also visit Rotorua and Aoraki Mount Cook.

Queenstown Airport Corporation has converted its $100m bank lending facilities to sustainability-linked loans.

Skyline Enterprises is selling its Chester Building on the corner of Camp and Shotover streets in central Queenstown.

Kiwi Park tuatara Merri is on the road to recovery after surgery at Dunedin Wildlife Hospital to remove a large mass under his jaw.

QT Queenstown is reopening the doors to its Lil Red restaurant this month.

The return of international visitors and competition for labour appears to have driven wages up significantly at the Queenstown-based group.

Glenorchy Air says it intends to be the first Queenstown-based flight operator to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in turboprop aircraft after securing a new plane for its fleet.

Queenstown Airport has reported 163,152 passenger movements for June 2023, or about 109% of that recorded for the same month in pre-Covid 2019.

Freedom campers around Queenstown Lakes district are being urged to familiarise themselves with the new Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 to ensure they avoid potential fines.

The Queenstown-based operator is selling four businesses but also investing in an asset to serve its popular Walter Peak attraction.

Skyline Queenstown has reopened to the public with fresh new 10-seat gondola cabins and a new top terminal.

Doppelmayr New Zealand says the successful completion and opening of the Skyline Queenstown gondola marks a new era of convenience, comfort, and efficiency for visitors to the attraction.

Air New Zealand and airports at Auckland and Queenstown are bracing for a surge in demand over the two-week July school holidays starting this weekend.

Queenstown Lakes District Council and Three Lakes Cultural Trust are encouraging the community to have its say on the region’s arts, culture and heritage strategy.

Australia’s Hampshire Holiday Parks Limited has been granted Overseas Investment Office approval for the leasehold of five sites in Queenstown and Wānaka containing holiday parks and campgrounds.

Ziptrek Ecotours will fully reopen to the public on 1 July following the completion of renovations to Skyline Queenstown’s gondolas.

The airport recorded 36,707 international passengers in May 2023, or 117% of that recorded for the same month in 2019. Domestic numbers were 95% of pre-Covid, with 111,382.

NZSki’s Coronet Peak opens its slopes today, marking the start of Queenstown’s ski season.

Accommodation experiences provider MajorDomo has added a property in the Ben Nevis Valley to its portfolio.

The Ticker hears from the operator’s new sales and marketing executive, who is also new to tourism and NZ as well.

After a fall in student numbers during the pandemic, Queenstown Resort College is seeing a strong recovery.

More than 1,000 hospitality jobs have been filled in Queenstown’s labour market over the last year.

Queenstown’s hotel market appears to have bottomed out with average weekly occupancy hovering around 56% for the past couple of weeks, according to figures from STR.

Queenstown’s Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters has received two new Airbus H125 helicopters.