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The Department of Conservation (Doc) will move its Queenstown visitor centre to Glenorchy in time for summer.
Doc Whakatipu-wai-Māori operations manager David Butt said the department had decided to close its Stanley St centre because the way people interacted with information had ‘‘changed significantly in recent years’’.
‘‘Moving the base to Glenorchy makes sense, as it’s the district’s gateway to Mt Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks, where most of our visitors are heading,’’ Mr Butt said.
The change would enhance Doc’s engagement with visitors, and provide ‘‘significant savings’’.
The township was a hub for the region’s most popular day and multi-day walks, including the Routeburn, Greenstone-Caples and Rees-Dart tramps.
A pop-up visitor centre trialled there over two weeks in January last year had a 28% increase in visitor numbers compared to the Stanley St centre the previous year.
The new centre, the location of which would be revealed soon, would open in November, he said.
It would be a seasonal service, with the flexibility to open seven days a week during the peak holiday season.
It would close during the historically quiet months of June to September, with staff focusing on ‘‘other core visitor engagement and community outreach work’’.
Mr Butt said the visitor centre had a vital role in providing information that enhanced people’s experience in nature, as well as helping them make safe decisions.
‘‘To do that effectively, we need to adapt with the times, and switch to a model that meets people where they are.’’
Doc would also roll out a mobile unit that would allow rangers to move around key sites and pro-actively meet visitors to provide information before they headed out into nature.
There would always be an online presence to respond to visitor queries. — Allied Media
