Parts of the West Coast that rely almost entirely on tourism are facing potential ruin after the tourism shutdown due to coronavirus
The glacier towns of Franz Josef and Fox are particularly vulnerable, with layoffs starting already.
Glacier Country Lake Tours have shut up shop for some time.
“This is definetly a first for us, we’ve been in business for seven years and it’s gotta be the trickiest thing that we’ll have to experience,” said Dale Burrows, Glacier Country Kayaks owner.
Mr Burrows has let four of his six staff go and is relying on financial help from the Government to get by.
"It could be months, it could be longer, it could be years, it's going to be really tough and we can only hope that when it rebounds it comes back in full force again," said Mr Burrows.
The entire economy of Franz Josef and Fox Glacier rely heavily on international visitors, but now they're facing unprecedented cancellations.
“I have grave concerns for people’s mental health in this space, it’s another stress, it’s another pressure,” said Ashley Cassin, Glacier Country Tourism group chairperson.
Franz and Fox was already suffering financially after a bridge washout and road closures last year.
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