Kaitangata & District Promotions (KDP) first raised the possibility of including the South Otago town on the Southern Scenic Route in 2019.
However, KDP secretary Joyce Beck said the initiative had been stalled by Covid-19, and complexities dealing with multi-party ownership of the route, which was overseen by five regional tourism organisations.
But the recent resurgence in tourism meant now was the right time to revisit the initiative, she believed.
"We initially contacted Great South to raise the possibility of including Kaitangata on the route.
"Our correspondence with them was positive, but indicated any such request would need to go to a steering committee overseeing promotion of the route, and NZTA.
"Since then, Clutha Development has taken the helm on our behalf, but we’d be keen to see it regain momentum as we move away from Covid and towards a return to tourism in the district."
The Southern Scenic Route runs from Dunedin to Queenstown via the Catlins, Invercargill and Te Anau, taking in 610km of the South’s tourism highlights.
Mrs Beck said Kaitangata would be a worthy addition, adding about 27km, or 20 minutes’ driving, to the route.
"Obviously we’d like people to spend a couple of hours in Kaitangata on their way through, because the town has many recreational and heritage attractions nowadays.
"We have one of the most popular BMX/skate parks in the South; wetland walks; a campground and food outlets; mountain-biking and fishing options; and a museum and many historic sites to visit, relating to the area’s long coal-mining history."
The new addition’s roads were sealed, and less hilly than the existing route along State Highway 1 via Lovells Flat and Hillend, she said.
Clutha District Kaitangata-Matau ward Cr Bruce Graham said he backed the town’s renewed push for tourist recognition.
"There’s a huge amount of heritage in Kai, and it would let people escape the highway and see some of the real South Otago heartland."
