Kaikōura businesses determined to survive hit tourist town is taking from Covid-19

May 20, 2020

But it will take more than that to keep the Canterbury coastal town down.

Kaikōura had been on its way back financially, after seeing its tourist numbers shattered following the 2016 earthquake. 

Now once again, the tourist town where 80 per cent of visitors come from overseas, has been brought to their knees by Covid-19.

A little blue crayfish caravan which sits on the beach front of the coastal town has weathered many storms but it’s a lack of tourists that is keeping Nins Bin closed, for now.

Johnny Clark is the third generation of his family to run it and that is a mantle he doesn't take lightly

“It's family, you know, it's a lot to me. I've been working here with my old man since I was 14.”

Also, reluctantly sitting idle is the fleet of whale watch boats where a halt on international visitors has dried up business.  

“We could only really fit 14 people on our vessels, our vessels have a capacity of about 48. So, at Level 2 it doesn't actually make financial sense to start operating,” says Whale Watch Kaikōura CEO, Kauahi Ngapora. 

Instead he’s looking to the possibility of more Kiwis venturing to the town, appealing to New Zealanders to help get them back out on the water.

The Kaikōura District Council has confirmed they are going to proceed with turning the Wakatu pier, that is derelict at the moment, into a retail and hospitality sector. 

It will take $10 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to finance, with the district council starting demolition soon.

Construction is also back underway on the Sudima Hotel with the hotel’s chief operating officer remaining optimistic about the future of the town’s tourism sector.  

“I know it’s a slightly unusual time to be recommitting to capital projects, especially ones related to tourism, but we're very confident in Kaikōura,” says Les Morgan.  

The hotel will be one of Kaikōura’s biggest employers, but its opening is delayed until next September.

Nevertheless, they are already starting to gain interest from Australian tourism operators. 

“It's attracted new businesses especially inbound tour operators out of Australia. This is business that has never previously come to Kaikōura so we're creating a new market which is great,” says Mr Morgan.  

John Arbuckle had bought his motel in the town just two months before lockdown when his business dissolved overnight. 

“We've gone down to about five percent occupancy,” says the White Morph Motel owner. 

Mr Arbuckle is not giving up hope just yet, offering deals and keeping optimistic about bookings.  

“Once the borders open, that’s going to help us a lot. We've got a heap of bookings for December, January and February from all over the world.”  

He's not the only one determined their business will survive with others in Kaikōura driven to keeping themselves and each other afloat.

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