Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Glyn Lewers: Queenstown Mayor on the influx of tourism in the city

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Glyn Lewers: Queenstown Mayor on the influx of tourism in the city · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And yes we're in bad economic times, well most of
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: the country is, but there's still one spot breaking in
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: the cash that is Queenstown. Their top spots are back
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: in top form, with tourism operators reporting strong numbers right
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: across the board this winter season. So I'm joined now
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: by the Mayor of Queenstown, Glenn Lewis, who should be
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: a happy man.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: Are you, Glenn very happy?
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: Injury yourself?
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: I'm very good. I'm very good. But yeah, Queenstown does
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: seem to be back on its feet. How come it's
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: excelling this winter season. Didn't do so last winter?
• 0:29
  Speaker 3: Oh look, I think we did pretty well last winter.
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: We I think Queenstown may leave it to keep itself
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: known during the pandemic years and with our trains Tairsman cousins.
• 0:40
  Speaker 3: So I think we're starting to see the.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Reward for that.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: All right, our tourists heading to New Zealand just for
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: your town or do you think that people come into
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: your town out then going other places? So there's a
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: trickle down.
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: Well, I'm hoping they go to other places. But yeah,
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: it does seem we're rather strong. Our tins Tairsman friends
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: are certainly coming up here and the numbers. I think
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: the latest that we got from the airport we were
• 1:05
  Speaker 3: up one hundred and forty five percent on pre COVID
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: numbers on our trans Tasman route. So yeah, we're doing well.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: Are these wealthy tourists? I mean, I know you've got
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: a one hundred and thirty million dollar hotel development, so
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: money is going in. I was just wondering whether you're
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: actually targeting the wealthy people or you'll take anybody.
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: Oh, it was a range of visitors.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: But look, we were there the better off people, but
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: we need the back backpackers as well.
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: They may help with the seasonal work. They usually pour
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: the pints, as we usually say, absolutely so.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: Of course we've always talked about the fact that you
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: might be possibly over touristed, that your infrastructure is creaking
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: and struggling, so you're getting on top of that.
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's probably the challenge we do have, but big
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: opportunity as well. Infrastructure needs to happen at the same
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: time as growth and the tourism numbers. But we're also
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: a fast growing residential growth town as well, so we
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: get the double whammy. But we've got to keep on
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: top of the infrastructure.
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: Is the waste water debate all over and done with.
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: It's still trucking along. Let's say it's an environment court
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: coming up, so we'll see how that goes.
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: Well. Good luck and congratulations and having a good winter season.
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: I'll be down there in about a month, Glynn, and
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: I think Glenn Lewis is the mayor of Queenstown.
• 2:27
  Speaker 3: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, Listen live
• 2:30
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• 2:33
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