www.thewanakasun.co.nz
Thursday 07 April to Wednesday 13 April 2011
IN SIDE
8,300 FREE
‘We are heading to London’
Lifting spirits Page 2
Community manager resigns
Year 8 class 8LB, pictured above, from Mount Aspiring College in Wanaka have just recorded one of their songs which will be featured on a nationally-released CD. The music students wrote a song for the Anthem in Black competition, run by the Play It Strange Charitable Trust. Contestants wrote an original song for the ukulele orchestra to inspire New Zealand athletes in their quest to compete at the 2012 Olympics in London. More on page 2... PHOTO: CHARLOTTE TRUNDLE
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Keeping a united front By Charlotte Trundle
Charity concert raises the roof Page 4
Reaching new heights Page 8
Viewpoint Page 13
The Wanaka community needs to keep a united front when it comes to events and make them non-transferable the Head of Tourism for Otago University Professor James Higham said. Prof Higham will be coming to Wanaka next week to share his thoughts with the business community on how to attract more tourists to the Upper Clutha region. “Some of the events running through the Wanaka portfolio are of an outstanding benefit to the region,” Prof Higham said. “The iconic events like Warbirds over Wanaka are extremely successful and there is a threat of losing them to another town. This is not to be taken lightly.”
His advice was to do whatever possible to make them non-transferable. “Make them so deeply associated with Wanaka
“Some of the events running through the Wanaka portfolio are of an outstanding benefit to the region.” that if they are moved it will destroy the event,” he said. “An example is the Wellington 7s: they thought of relocation to Dunedin but they didn’t because they knew it would undermine the event.” Prof Higham said negative attitudes to local events could also be ‘particularly
damaging’. “These voices undermine the community support associated with events,” he said. “It’s important to be a united community voice. Negativity can be reasonably shortsighted as events like Challenge draw a lot of people to Wanaka.” Wanaka has many positive tourism attributes. “It’s interesting, unique, has stunning scenery and natural resources.” Following the Christchurch earthquake he said it was of huge importance to welcome tourists to our region. “We need to show we are open for business,” he said. “Wanaka tourism may be affected as a lot of international flights come into Christchurch for the ski season,” Prof Higham said. “A good idea would be for the regional tourism bodies to collaborate with NZ Tourism
and get out there saying it’s going to be a great ski season, rather than focusing on the earthquake.” Lake Wanaka Tourism general manager James Helmore agreed that keeping a united front when it comes to events was a good idea. “Events are critical to the Wanaka economy moving forward. We need to play to our strengths. I think it would be hard to steal any of our events,” said James. He said Lake Wanaka Tourism had been working together with NZ Tourism and other organisations to promote the region following the Christchurch earthquake. “We have been pushing the message to the airlines, to wholesalers, especially our big Australia market – we are open for business.”