‘‘We’ve got really, really solid early bookings for this coming season,’’ NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson says.
‘‘Certainly the feedback so far from our agents in Australia has been that Australians are still booking, and that market for us is so big.’’
So big they made up about 40% of all skier visits last year, while their spending also helps fuel many downtown businesses.
Last year the Aussie market into Queenstown grew a phenomenal 32%, and Anderson would be happy just to retain those extra numbers.
‘‘Tourism New Zealand did a really great job last year and our friends at Destination Queenstown in making sure Australians were aware of how good the skiing is over here, and of course the connectivity into Queenstown Airport has been excellent.’’
Anderson says the exchange rate also makes the Queenstown proposition good value for money.
‘‘It’s possible the increase in airfares all over the world may actually force a few more Australians to come to Queenstown, so it’s possible we’d get some upside from that — it’s just one of those things that’s really hard to read.
‘‘You might find a few Australians who may have been planning a ski trip to North America or Japan now thinking it’s a bit far or a bit too expensive, so they’ll do their overseas trip to NZ.’’
Going by season pass sales, which include NZSki’s Canterbury field, Mt Hutt, Anderson is confident South Island visitation will hold up, too.
However, he concedes their Auckland market, which had been ‘‘pretty soft’’ last year, may remain quiet in the face of increased fuel prices.
Meanwhile, Anderson confirms ‘‘we’re realistic [rising fuel prices] will impact our operating costs, but all our pricing’s locked in for the season, so it’s going to be something we absorb in our business’’.
He says NZSki’s also been reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and diesel in recent years in line with the Queenstown visitor industry’s ‘carbon zero by 2030’ target.
‘‘We’re largely electric on the ski areas.’’
The biggest use of diesel was in their bus and groomer fleets.
However, three new groomers for Queenstown’s Coronet Peak and The Remarkables are more fuel-efficient than their predecessors, he says, as are three new local-based MAN 4WD coaches, along with another one arriving mid-season.
