NZSki chiefs gave the most upbeat preseason briefing since 2010 to more than 100 members of the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce in Crowne Plaza Queenstown last Tuesday.
They outlined ski area improvements and marketing efforts made over the summer. Coronet Peak is scheduled to open on June 8 and the Remarkables on June 15.
Snowmaking software ATASS was upgraded to ATASS+ which enabled more snowmaking more often, while preserving water and saving energy.
A new function on the NZSki website will show which of the 211 snowmaking guns at Coronet Peak were firing and the mountain temperature at those gun pylons in real time.
Free guest Wi-Fi will be provided at both Wakatipu ski areas, which had the free dividend of promoting the alpine experience and Queenstown when guests created and shared content on their devices with friends and family around the world.
Prime visitor market Australia was also the second most smartphone-connected market in the world after Singapore, the audience heard.
Heidi's Hut, a Swiss chalet style restaurant at Coronet Peak, was expanded and given a new menu, with table service to be available between 11am and 2pm.
Food will be offered at the Greengates Ice Bar and the coffee queue shortened at the Coronet Peak base building cafe.
The lower Calypso Trail was widened by up to three times and a retaining wall was engineered from gabion baskets.
High-traffic areas and the learners' area of the Remarkables will benefit from an extra three snowmaking guns, taking the total number to 52. Increased water take from Lake Alta was consented.
About 1100 native tussocks were germinated and propagated from seed on site. More than 1000 biodiversity-suffocating wilding pines were removed in five sessions from the sides of the Remarkables which face the Wakatipu basin.
Cutlery and crockery will be available at the food and beverage operation of the Remarkables as part of the company's sustainability drive, which meant more staff were employed.
New Zealand ski areas still offered Australians great value and often more travel convenience compared with their domestic ski areas and these were themes of NZSki's promotion across the Tasman.
However, snow sports were just one part of the overall winter holiday experience. The average Australian visitor spent 10 days in Queenstown, but spent just under five days on-piste.
International arrivals were forecast to be up 20.5% in July and August, an extra 9500 arrivals. Direct flights were up from 32 to 41 this year.
Recruitment for 450 positions began last week and continued this week, after 6000 international applications were received. Staff return rate was up from 30% to 65% this year and the first intake is June 4.
''We're absolutely ready to go,'' chief executive James Coddington said.
