The summer holidays have brought welcome visitors to the region, with Tourism Waitaki noting increases visitation from Christchurch residents and from overseas.
"We’ve had an extremely encouraging start to the summer season across Waitaki, and the holiday period has reinforced just how strongly tourism is tracking for the region," Tourism Waitaki Regional Tourism organisation general manager Heather Matthews said.
"Ōamaru Penguins is on track for another month of record numbers, setting us up for what looks like another record-breaking season.
"Day visitor numbers in December were approx. 50% higher than last year — a fantastic result following the new refurbishment of the Discovery Centre. Feedback from both visitors and staff has been overwhelmingly positive.
"More broadly, anecdotal feedback from operators has been resoundingly positive. Many are reporting visitor numbers on par with, or slightly higher than last season.
"There has been a noticeable increase in international visitors, particularly from Australia and the United States, which is a very encouraging sign for the region.
"We’re also hearing more domestic travellers from Christchurch are choosing to travel up the Waitaki valley on route to their regular holiday spots as an alternative to Mackenzie, helping them avoid traffic congestion. This presents a real opportunity for Waitaki, and it’s encouraging to hear that these visitors are stopping, exploring and spending time and money in our local communities.
"Operators are now bracing for the peak period of Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail visitors that will take us through to the end of March, so we’re heading into the busiest part of the season with strong momentum and a lot of confidence in what Waitaki has to offer."
