New Zealand's been riding the wave of a $2 billion hotel construction boom, but now thanks to Covid-19, demand for accommodation has plummeted to next to nothing as tourists stay away.
Over 1000 hotel rooms have opened in New Zealand in the past 18 months, while nearly 4000 more are currently under construction.
However, Covid-19 has seen those plans have to be put on ice. What's more with no tourists allowed into the country in the immediate future, the sector is having to close its doors.
"Overnight, our hotel sector has nosedived from dealing with a mass shortage of hotel rooms to accommodate a booming hotel sector, to no guests, closed doors and empty beds," Amy Robens of the New Zealand Hotel Owners' Association tells 1 NEWS.
To add to the confusion, owners haven't been told by the Government when they might be able to open their doors once again, when New Zealand moves to Alert Level 2 or 1 of the Covid-19 response.
"The challenge is immediate," Wellington NZ's general manager David Perks says.
"They need certainty, it's so important to understanding the investments they've made, and what to do next."
Opening up the possible New Zealand-Australia bubble another potential short term fix.
"We need to look at opening up airlines domestically," Ms Robens adds.
"We need to do serious work around a trans-Tasman bubble, with Australia making up 40 per cent of New Zealand international arrivals."
A major push is needed for the industry that created over $40 billion in revenue last year, one of New Zealand's top GDP earners.
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