Arrowtown Promotion and Business Association (APBA), the non-profit organisation responsible for the marketing and advocacy of the historic town, has redesigned arrowtown.com to better reflect the town’s offerings, and support local businesses and events.
Along with its gold-mining heritage, culinary experiences and boutique shopping, the outdoor recreational and artist offering has become "immensely attractive" to visitors, APBA manager Nicky Busst says.
"The last year in particular has seen a significant shift in our arts and cultural offering ... we have had new galleries and studios open and many also let you meet the artist in person as they curate their masterpieces in situ.
"Arrowtown also continues to become a go-to place for biking, running and outdoor events."
Those include The Motatapu, Arrowtown Backyard Ultra, Cyclorama, Queenstown Marathon and The Wild multi-day mountain running event.
APBA chair and locally-based regional economist Benje Patterson conducted a report on The Wild in January — while it was cancelled this year, it’s estimated the 2023 event brought $1million of new spending into the Queenstown Lakes, with two-thirds of participants staying in Arrowtown.
"This spending demonstrates some of the value being generated by Arrowtown’s burgeoning reputation as New Zealand’s trail running mecca," he says.
In terms of biking, there are already tens of thousands of visitors passing through the village each year, with more trails to come.
Along with the recently-opened Wharehuanui Trail, linking Arrowtown and Arthurs Point, the Shotover Gorge Trail, linking Arthurs Point to Tucker Beach, is due to open early next year, with the Kawarau Gorge Trail, linking Queenstown to Bannockburn, also well under way.
Patterson says biking could become almost 40% the size of the ski visitor economy by 2026, and "Arrowtown is an ideal hub in the heart of this trail network".
