Regenerated Queenstown ready for winter tourists

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This was published 1 year ago

Regenerated Queenstown ready for winter tourists

By Julietta Jameson
Updated
The view from the Remarkables.

The view from the Remarkables.Credit: Destination Queenstown

When you consider that before the pandemic half of the population of Queenstown, New Zealand, was reliant on tourism, it's not hard to guess how COVID-19 closures affected the place.

But operators took the hiatus as an opportunity to refocus on "regenerative tourism". Pre-COVID, the tourism industry often included pressures on the environment, community, and infrastructure. Post-lockdown, the focus is shifting on how tourism should look when international travel returns in scale.

Regional tourism organisations across the country say the vision – and challenge – is a tourism model that "protects and enhances our taonga (natural resources), links strongly to our values, creates pride in its strength of conviction and purpose, and enables a thriving future".

Holiday Inn Remarkables Park.

Holiday Inn Remarkables Park.

Destination Queenstown chair Richard Thomas says this has meant "working closely with local businesses ... iwi (Maori society) and the community to understand how tourism can add value to our region both economically, environmentally, socially and culturally".

While many local businesses have closed during the pandemic, Thomas is buoyed by new openings just as New Zealand is opening up to Australians. One of these is the Holiday Inn Remarkables Park, which invites children under 12 to stay and eat for free if sharing a room with their parents.

The family-oriented property is designed with its proximity to The Remarkables ski slopes in mind, with a secure drying room, storage for ski and sports gear and floor-to-ceiling windows that guzzle mountain views.

Reminiscent of the best ski chalets, the lobby has zones for chilling, chatting or eating. There's an expansive fireplace and cosy areas for reading and board games. Giants Restaurant and Bar and the Rolling Giants cafe keep guests fed and watered.

The hotel includes 182 rooms and suites, many with mountain-view balconies.

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"We have a beautiful new hotel, and we want to show it off," says general manager Mathew Simister. "It has been a challenging time to do business with first Delta then Omicron, but now we are on the brink of the new normal and ready to go."

Thomas is thrilled to see Australians return. "Queenstown is the Southern Hemisphere's premier ski destination offering world class ski areas, range of terrain and amazing nightlife ... it's going to be fantastic to see Aussies share our slopes."

From $150 a room a night. See holidayinnremarkables.com; queenstownnz.co.nz

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