It may be empty, but Auckland’s Snowplanet has been maintaining and grooming its indoor mountain slope throughout the Covid-19 crisis.
It’d be more costly to let the snow melt, and after missing the school holidays, it’s alongside many other activity based businesses needing to make any savings it can.
Its four school holiday programmes in the April term break alone usually amount to 1500 visits to the indoor snow resort, and with other visitor numbers on top of that, it’s one of the busiest times of the year.
Losing that business was a big deal, and with restrictions set to limit operations for some time yet, it’s hard times.
“It's not going to be a profitable year in the way that it has been profitable years... but right now it's about survival rather than thriving,” said Snowplanet’s John Howsam.
Chipmunks Playcentre is another activity based business feeling the pinch after missing out on an important two weeks of the year.
“By missing out on April school holidays, it was a 15 per cent loss of business”, said Daisy Huang from Chipmunks in Pakuranga.
She doesn’t even want to think about what will happen should the facility still be empty in the next break in July.
If it’s able to open at Level 2, Ms Huang said, “We will think about options like booking bubbles, we already moved the tables with social distance”.
But she says it wouldn’t be easy with the young children they cater to wanting to interact with each other.
Snowplanet is confident it will be able to meet the requirements to operate at Level 2.
“We've already programmed our systems, based and geared up to be able to manage capacity so we don't infringe,” said Mr Howsam.
The facility is planning to have two-hour sessions, each with an hour gap in between, allowing time for one group to leave before another arrives.
Mr Howsam says they’re now just waiting for the Government to clarify restrictions.
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