You can almost hear city retailers singing Gaudeamus
igitur ("Let us rejoice").
Four cruise ships, three graduations and a horde of Christmas
shoppers have left many retailers in Dunedin "battening down
the hatches" as thousands of people flood into the city.
And it is only going to get busier in the build-up to
Christmas, retailers and hospitality providers say.
The city yesterday hosted the largest Otago Polytechnic
graduation ceremony on record, and today University of Otago
and Aoraki Polytechnic graduations will be held. And this
week passengers from cruise ships Sun Princess (1950
passengers), Celebrity Century (1800), Radiance of
the Seas (2500) and Volendam (1430) were in town.
Meridian manager Michael Porter said yesterday about 100,000
people had already gone through the centre this week.
"From here on in, it starts to ramp up considerably," he
said.
"We're battening down the hatches."
He said the centre was attracting many more cruise-ship
passengers because more information about Dunedin's retail
sector had been directed at them.
Bluestone on George owner Neville Butcher said accommodation
in central Dunedin was fully booked this weekend, but there
were still rooms available in the suburbs.
"We're not chocker yet."
Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie said
this time of year was getting busier for the retail sector.
"We wouldn't have been this busy 20 years ago. The number of
graduates and cruise ships have increased considerably.
"Having the city full with parents and friends of graduates,
and cruise-ship passengers, it's great for the economy."
- john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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