Tēnā koe 

How is it mid-May already!

I hope that you've been enjoying some of this exceptional (if not a little late arriving) sunshine.

It has been a pleasure to get out and about, attending and speaking at a number of Business Association After 5 events over the past month. I have been sharing some data and insights about how the summer / shoulder trading has been going, and some of our current and future projects for DHC. 

Off the back of the weather events this summer, TCDC have issued some updated visitor-facing fliers to help inform our visitors what to do in an emergency. You can download it here (and we encourage you to print and make available in your business).

You may recall I mentioned last month that we've been advocating for tax relief for tourism businesses affected by the weather events. The good news is that there is some support now available from IRD. It's not as wide-reaching as I was hoping for - but is better than nothing. I encourage you to check it out and seek some advice from your Accountant, Business Advisor, Bank Manager or directly from the IRD. Cashflow management is tricky at the best of times... and getting some external help might be just what you need to navigate the winter period.

Lastly, thanks to the businesses who responded to my request to update your business details on our industry database. This has been immensely helpful when we are liaising with trade, media or consumer enquiries - and helps us do a better job of supporting you. If you haven't yet done so, please take 5 minutes to complete the quick form.

Kia kaha e te whanau,

It was great to join with some of our local tourism businesses and promote the region at the recent eXplore Trade Show in Auckland. Over 200 international travel buyers and agents attended, and we made some new connections which is great. This week, Megan and I are at TRENZ - the biggest tourism trade event on New Zealand’s calendar, where industry leaders and representatives gather in person to showcase their products and services to high-quality international and New Zealand travel buyers. DHC have 50 one on one appointments scheduled over the event, including global online agents like Expedia, Trip Advisor and Air New Zealand... as well as a number of new buyers who have reached out wanting to meet us to see how they can add a Hauraki/Coromandel stop onto their tour itineraries. If your business works with the trade (that is, you work with agents, inbound tour operators, online travel agents; take fixed-price bookings up to 18 months in advance; are willing to pay commission; and have a set product that can be booked) or if you want to start doing so, we want to be sure that we're representing you as well as we can at these events. The best way to do that is to check what we are currently presenting about your business in our interactive trade directory (scroll down towards the end of the page, then click through the pages), and our PDF directory.

Kūaotunu Planting Day

A huge effort from the Kūaotunu Dune Care crew saw 30 volunteers gather at Grays Beach on April 29 for a successful dune planting day in perfect conditions.

Across 90 collective volunteer hours, the group planted a mix of front dune, mid dune and back dune native species chosen to help stabilise the dunes, restore biodiversity and strengthen the long term resilience of the coastal environment.

The project also marks another step in the ongoing restoration of the Grays Beach dune system. Since the 1990s, local volunteers have worked to re-establish native planting throughout the area, however over time a number of exotic species began competing with those restoration efforts. In preparation for this latest planting day, those exotics were removed to help restore the natural balance of the dune environment.

To help give the new plants the best chance of success, biodegradable wool mats were placed around many of the plants to retain moisture, suppress weeds and slowly return nutrients back into the soil over time.

And the work continues beyond planting day itself, with Kūaotunu Dune Care volunteers carrying out ongoing pest trapping and weed control to help the restoration thrive into the future.

Of the 2,000 native plants planted during the day, 114 were provided through GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL - Kaitiaki.

Reminder: FREE confidential support available

To help you navigate these challenging times, we offer a Destination Hauraki Coromandel funded Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by EAP Services. This means that you have access to free and confidential practical assistance to support your wellbeing. EAP Services is available to you (and your team members if needed) for practical assistance when personal or work issues arise that may impact you, your ability to do your job or affect wellbeing, such as:

• Stress and pressure – personal or work;
• Depression and anxiety;
• Workplace issues and changes;
• Bullying and harassment support;
• Anger and conflict issues;
• Relationship and family matters;
• Grief and loss;
• Addictions;
• Life transition and personal development;
• Health and well-being;
• Career planning;
• Budgeting and financial assistance;
• Personal legal advice.

DHC is funding three sessions per individual (and can maybe do more on a case-by-case basis). We will not know who has accessed this support. When you click on the link below to register, please select Destination Hauraki Coromandel as the 'employer' and 'work force' as the role. You can then self-identify what kind of support you are needing, and how you'd like to receive it (phone call, video chat or in-person). 

EAP Services is easy to access, book online here or call 0800 327 669. For more information, please visit www.eapservices.co.nz