While tourism in the Queenstown Lakes, and the wider business community, have experienced devastating effects from COVID-19, the pandemic has created a unique opportunity to rethink the visitor sector's purpose, the principles by which we operate and how we measure success. A chance to develop a destination management plan for our district - Regenerative Tourism by 2030.
The visitor sector is vitally important to our district. Tourism contributes to our destination brand and is often the introductory tool to attract talent and residents to our district, showcasing the destination as a great place to live, play and work. This encourages investment opportunities and supports diversification and innovation in our region.
While tourism success has largely been measured in economic terms to date, we are moving into a new era of thinking. How to create value more broadly for the benefit of our people, our place, and collective prosperity.
Following Government funding and a directive to undertake this work, DQ, Lake Wānaka Tourism and Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) have partnered up to develop a destination management plan for the district.
By harnessing the collective knowledge, expertise, experience and values of both our industry and community, we have an opportunity to collectively design our own path to a viable and regenerative tourism future.
Please read on to find out more about the vision, the background, key dates and how you can get involved.