But with the country’s border closed since March 19, there are fewer foreign accents to be heard in the resort town. “It was like turning off the key in the ignition of a car, it just stopped,” Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult said. Domestic visitors tend to be more price-sensitive than foreigners, and local operators have been unable to avoid the hit. In their absence, he had to slash prices to attract domestic travelers when the nationwide lockdown lifted in May. NZ Ski, which owns two of the region’s key ski fields, expects visitor numbers will fall about 30% this season.

Source: Hindustan Times September 20, 2020 13:50 UTC