Regional tourism organisation Clutha Development presented a report on tourism spend and accommodation usage to key funder the Clutha District Council, during the council’s recent annual plan hearings.
The report shows all key metrics up, registering increases between 7% and 140%.
Clutha Development has been implementing the council’s Clutha Destination Strategy since 2020, and its chief executive Linda Moore said the latest figures showed it was heading in the right direction.
Occupancy rates for February and March this year were up 70% and 96% respectively compared with 2022.
The annual average length of stay had increased by 38% to 2.2 nights compared with pre-Covid levels, although peak season stays were now up to three nights, on average.
A council spokeswoman said the council was pleased to see the upturn in tourism.
"We see promoting growth as a priority and believe there are opportunities out there to promote the district’s potential as an attractive place to live, work, visit and invest. We’ve got it all — a relaxed lifestyle, spectacular scenery, incredible wildlife, rich heritage and southern hospitality."
But more remained to be done.
"It’s been less than a year since our border fully reopened following the pandemic [and] it may be some time before we can determine the success of the strategy, but council will continue working with Clutha Development to ensure it delivers the best outcomes."
Clutha Development would continue to work on five "icon" tourism experiences for the district, at Nugget/Kaka Point, Cathedral Caves and Purakaunui Falls in the Catlins; at Gabriel’s Gully in Lawrence; and in developing sustainable wildlife tours.
