Twizel info centre likely to go online

The Twizel Information Centre will become a virtual-only service under a proposal in the Mackenzie District Council’s revised Tourism and Economic Development Plan.

Discussions about the future of the centre, which is open seven days a week in summer, began last August after concerns about high visitor traffic disrupting access to council services.

The information centre sees about 200 visitors a day in the winter and about 400 a day in summer which disrupts other council activities, council transition manager Tim Mulcock said in a report to the Twizel Community Board.

‘‘Information Centres around New Zealand are largely lossmaking and many have closed. This is further impacting to the current shift towards domestic tourism.

‘‘Following Covid-19 it is recognised that the public health risk for open visitor centres has increased exponentially.’’

The centre’s seven day-a-week opening in summer has presented staffing challenges, and with increasing numbers of online booking of tourism activities, the value of the centre against costs has reached ‘‘the point of insignificance’’, he said.

The proposal outlines the closure of the physical centre and the creation of a 24/7 virtual centre in two phases.

Phase one, expected to be complete by the end of July, will allow outdoor access to the centre through signage, an outdoor brochure rack, a screen promoting www.mackenzienz.com and public wi-fi to allow independent booking of activities and accommodation.

‘‘Phase two includes the establishment of the Virtual Information Centre which is envisaged to include ... a selfservice kiosk within Market Place available for visitors to search and make bookings [and] extended (managed) public wi-fi in Market Place (following UFB fibre roll-out),’’ Mulcock said.

An internal tourism liaison officer will facilitate the relationship between the community and marketing provider ChristchurchNZ and the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce; and oversee visitor services such as the Alps2Ocean cycle trail, visitor public rubbish collection, public toilets.

‘‘The public health and economic impact of Covid-19 on the Mackenzie District has required a revisioning of the Tourism and Economic Development budget to improve outcomes for the district over the next financial year,’’ Mulcock said.

‘‘The changes will also help to address long-standing concerns raised by ratepayers and tourism businesses.’’