Wairarapa still welcomes visitors, tourism boss says

Piers Fuller Reporter from News of Wairarapa

As the door is shut on some of Wairarapa’s iconic events, a marketing campaign is
underway to remind people that visitors continue to be warmly welcome.
Destination Wairarapa general manager Anna Nielson says, “Wairarapa - still plenty to do”, is pitched at visitors who had maybe planned to come to the region for an event but are now having second thoughts because the event has been cancelled.
“All of the things that people love about Wairarapa such as our fabulous food and wine, big open spaces, stunning scenery and so on are all still here, ready and waiting to be enjoyed,” Ms Nielson says.
The New Zealand Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has effectively either cancelled or postponed indefinitely all events and public gatherings of over 500 people.
In Wairarapa, immediately impacted is this weekend’s annual Martinborough Round the Vines and the National Drag Racing competition in Masterton. Other big annual events such as the Wairarapa Balloon Festival over Easter Weekend have also been
either cancelled or postponed.
“These events bring lots of visitors to the Wairarapa, and our message is, although these events are now no longer running, there is still plenty on offer, so please come,” Ms Nielson says.
Tourism spend contributes about $195 million to the Wairarapa economy, employing around 1500 people. There are about 250,000 commercial guest nights in the Wairarapa each year.
“These are extraordinary times, particularly for people working in the tourism industry. As an organisation with over 300 members we need to do whatever we can to help businesses navigate through this period of uncertainty," Nielsen said.