Queenstown’s Altitude Tours owners believe winning the ‘resilience and innovation’ award at last week’s New Zealand Tourism Awards is testament to how they’ve how come out stronger after Covid.
The company doubled its experiences while borders were closed, and is now exceeding pre-Covid revenues.
‘‘When it came to the borders reopening, we already had all these products in-market, and we could get straight back into growing the company again,’’ says Heidi Farren, who co-owns Altitude Tours with Nigel Hobbs.
Products include NZ’s first gin tour and the world’s first heli-gin tour, which Tourism NZ’s included in its new ‘If You Seek’ global marketing
campaign.
Judges noted the product innovations and cycle of development were ‘‘quite extraordinary’’.
Hobbs: ‘‘Innovation and product development are key to delivering world-class experiences.
‘‘We have lots more unique experiences in the pipeline and are also looking at regenerative and sustainability as an important part of how we move forward.’’
During Covid, Altitude Tours also collaborated with competitor Totally Tourism in the competitive Milford Sound marketplace.
Also at the NZ Tourism Awards, Queenstown-based iFLY Indoor Skydiving won ‘employer of choice’ and Fiordland’s Hollyford Wilderness
Experience won the ‘visitor experience’ award.
