Whanganui & Manawatu

Economic development agency and regional tourism organisation Whanganui & Partners has appointed Jonathan Sykes its new chief executive.

Regional tourism organisation Whanganui & Partners says its region has topped the table for domestic tourism spending growth for the second month running, recording a 9.8% increase in May 2023.

Bookings for the Whanganui Journey are expected to increase compared to last year, says the Department of Conservation.

A new memorial at Ongarue in the Manawatu district has been unveiled to mark 100 years since the derailment of a train that killed 17 people and seriously injured 28 others.

The Te Āpiti – Manawatū Gorge walking track has been temporarily closed and a rāhui placed on it until 22 June.

A new art exhibition in Foxton encourages visitors to follow their nose and indulge in the sensory experiences of olfactory art.

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre is releasing six young yellow-crowned kākāriki back into the wild today.

Manawatū and the West Coast are taking a tongue-in-cheek approach to attracting visitors to their regions over the summer, with the launch of two new ad campaigns.

Pūkaha Wildlife Centre is seeking at least $150,000 for the completion of its Environmental Education and Accommodation Centre.

The Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre near Masterton is holding an open day on Sunday 24 September, with special guest Richie McCaw who will read the book Three Little Kiwi to the audience.

Former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw will join the Pūkaha Wildlife Sanctuary’s first community open day in three years on Sunday 25 September.

More than 900 tickets have been snapped up for the Palmy Drag Fest in Palmerston North this September.

Whanganui Regional Museum is partnering with the Blumhardt Foundation in an effort to support public art galleries and museums in their acquisition of work by contemporary New Zealand craft practitioners.

The Horowhenua Taste Trail is returning in 2022 following a three-year hiatus, promising a showcase of some of the region’s most successful family food businesses.

Thirteen events encompassing music, film, comedy, sport, culture, kai and history have all received funding from Whanganui & Partners for the 2022-2023 season.

A masterplan for the future of the Manawatu Gorge is proposing 11 projects for the area, including recreational tracks, suspension and sky bridges, visitor accommodation, cultural projects, and UNESCO ‘Geopark’ status for Te Apiti.

Whanganui & Partners has opened funding and support applications for events taking place between 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.

The Department of Conservation has closed the Whanganui Journey Great Walk due to confirmed cases of Covid-19 among a group of paddlers.

The Southern Ruahine Kiwi Habitat Restoration Project has officially launched.

Whanganui & Partners is encouraging the public to show support for the local businesses that are facing extraordinary challenges as the Omicron outbreak grows.

CEO Jerry Shearman lays out his tourism priorities for the region.

Occupancy rates in December at accommodation types nationwide improved to 34.2% for the month continuing an uptrend that started last month, according to Accommodation Data Programme (ADP) results.

Regions that rode the “do something new” tourism wave last summer are not benefitting as much but there have been bright spots.

The Coastal Arts Trail has teamed up with Quirky Campers NZ to launch a new art-immersive campervan.

A Department of Conservation ranger has been ordered to pay reparation of $10,400 by the Whanganui District Court for a jet boat collision with a kayaker on the Whanganui River in November 2020.

More attractions require visitors and staff be fully vaccinated against Covid.

In the first of a series of profiles leading up to the 2021 NZ Tourism Awards, the Ticker talks to NZ Nature Highlights.

Ten new jobs in Dannevirke will be created thanks to $1.78m Jobs for Nature funding.

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre has secured a $1m loan from Tararua District Council for development.

“It probably wasn’t my smartest move, putting the business on the market in the middle of a pandemic,” says Ian Balme

CEDA plans to spend the $1m awarded as part of the government’s Tourism Communities plan on refreshing its destination management plan, developing capability, marketing to drive visitation in the shoulder season, and product development.

Whanganui & Partners chief executive Hannah Middleton will go on six months parental leave from today, 13 September.

The annual New Zealand Airports Hui will not be held as planned in 2021 as the Delta outbreak continues to upset the events calendar.

But average occupancy in the year to July 2021 across all commercial accommodation types was only 42%.

Puke Ariki Museum in New Plymouth is set to host the 2021 Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, starting on Saturday 14 August.

Two events in the Manawatū region received funding from the government’s $50m Regional Events Fund.

Hawke’s Bay Tourism’s chief executive welcomed Monday’s announcement that Originair would start routes between the region and Nelson, Palmerston North and Hamilton.

Whanganui, Taranaki and the Manawatū are jointly launching a pan-region arts trail to showcase works and entice visitors to the lower west coast of the North Island.

Around 11% of core tourism accommodation properties were closed or had no guests during June due to a combination of seasonal closures and the effects of Covid-19 on guest numbers.

New rules aim to restrict number of nights, number of vehicles, and allow only self-contained vehicles.

Australian spend quadrupled in Queenstown and more than doubled in Auckland and Christchurch from April to May.

River Valley Lodge has reimagined itself with a focus on niche offerings such as its new permaculture course.

The new visitor centre project dovetails with plans to promote Whanganui River Road as a tourism driving route.

Villa has 14 rooms and was formerly used as a maternity hospital.

The agency will look for funding for two tourism-related developments in the Manawatū.

CEDA’s Linda Stewart calls it a day but she’s proud of what the agency has achieved in tourism.

Weekend pricing has also been introduced for some high-use DOC huts.

Hotel guest nights beat holiday parks and campgrounds for the first time in several months.

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre will host the gifting of the 942ha Pūkaha Forest to New Zealand.

The Dutch community will celebrate the first-ever ‘Dutch Week’ in New Zealand from Saturday 24 April.