Real Journeys tries to spur Milford, Te Anau traffic with dollar deal

South Island tourism operator Real Journeys wants to get locals down to Milford Sound and Te Anau with a $1 offer for cruises in one of the country’s biggest international drawcards.

The six-day offer opens today with 1,000 spots available to cruise through the Milford Sound between April 1 and Sept 30. Real Journeys operates three vessels in Milford and typically charges $89 per trip. It also has $30 and $59 specials available.

Stephen England-Hall, chief executive of Real Journeys owner Wayfare Group, said Te Anau and Milford have been hit hard by the border closures, with many Kiwis steering clear of the experience.

“The Te Anau and Fiordland communities heavily rely on visitors and we really want to put a national spotlight on Milford Sound and encourage all New Zealanders to visit for themselves,” England-Hall said.

“The boats are going and there’s fixed cost anyway, but if we can get more people on those boats, those people will be going through Milford and Te Anau.”

While Real Journeys may not directly benefit from the $1 cruises, it might get spillover benefits if visitors use its other services, such as the bus rides or scenic flights from Queenstown.

Reeling

The region has been hit hard by the pandemic-enforced closure of borders and the government is now looking at ways to directly support the hardest hit.

Tourism minister Stuart Nash said yesterday the latest round of funding from the tourism infrastructure fund – to pay for essential facilities – will prioritise applications from Kaikōura, Mackenzie, Queenstown Lakes, Fiordland and South Westland districts, and he’s also working on other measures to support those areas.

Still, that might not be enough.

Queenstown’s Kiwi Birdlife Park is now seeking donations to remain open, with its revenue down 80% in the year to date, and funding from the Wildlife Institute Relief Fund only covering a portion of its costs.

Celebrating its 35^th anniversary, it’s seeking $35 donations from visitors to the site this month to help keep it going.

“We need people to come and see one of the biggest kiwi display houses in the country, celebrate our breeding programmes in the knowledge that they’re contributing to future conservation success, and enjoy the conservation show which is celebrating its 20th anniversary,” owner Paul Wilson said.