9 Jun 2016

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Canterbury tourism operators are gearing up for a bumper winter season with an extra 300 trans-Tasman flights coming into Christchurch.

Skiers and snowboarders are chomping at the bit to get on to the mountains and Mt Hutt Ski Area is opening on Saturday.

As the season gets underway, Christchurch Airport and Qantas have announced 300 extra flights will fly into Christchurch direct from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to meet increased demand over the winter. The flights will see an additional 52,000 seats available on trans-Tasman flights – a 13 per cent increase compared to the same time last year. This includes an extra 18,000 on Qantas flying direct from Brisbane and almost 25,000 more seats from Sydney.

Christchurch Airport Ltd Chief Commercial Officer Aeronautical Justin Watson said Australian skiers love the fact they can be stepping on to top quality Canterbury snow a little over four hours after jumping on a plane. “There are more than 10 ski fields within easy reach of Christchurch Airport, with terrain and facilities to cater for every type of skier. Many Aussies love Mt Hutt, with its world class facilities, proximity to Christchurch and free skiing for kids, so now, with more flights, a family holiday in the snow has never been more appealing.”

Tourists pump an impressive $2.7billion into the Canterbury economy every year, and the beginning of ski season is a big milestone for many tourist operators.

Mt Hutt Ski Area manager James McKenzie said news of the extra trans-Tasman flights was “absolutely fantastic”. “It’s certainly going to make a difference for us and particularly for Methven tourism.”

He said Mt Mutt – named best ski resort at the World Ski Awards last year - would open on Saturday with a good early season snow base that was better than last year’s. Some recent snowfall had been lost in the recent northwesterly but more snow is forecast on Sunday. Terrain park features will be open for freestyle riders, something that usually happens later in the season.  

Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism Chief Executive Vic Allen said Canterbury had unique winter break possibilities.
“Here you can ski New Zealand’s longest glacier and soak in hot springs all in the same day.”

Porters Ski Area is scheduled to open on June 22, and Mt Cheeseman Ski Area’s season opens on July 2. Mr Allen said Mackenzie ski fields had been adding to their facilities this year, including an extension to the base building at Roundhill near Tekapo. Nearby, heli-skiing on the Tasman Glacier will start on July 5.

“With so many seasonal activities on offer Christchurch is growing in popularity as a winter escape destination for Australians who can hop on three-hour direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast.”