Tess Brunton

It's been another summer without international visitors - the lifeblood for five tourist hotspots.

For weeks, operators in Fiordland, South Westland, Queenstown, Mackenzie and Kaikōura geared up to… Audio

Trampers who plan to walk the Rakiura Track on Stewart Island this summer are being offered the option of a refund as the battle against bed bugs continues.

The bugs reached infestation levels last… Audio

The conference industry is looking for solutions and optimism as it wrestles with significant losses from the pandemic.

An industry worth $1.5 billion two years ago has been slashed by almost three… Audio

Now to Otago, where lax landowners will soon have to foot the bill if the regional council has to step in and deal with their rabbit problems.

The Otago Regional Council has been ramping up its… Audio

Businesses in Franz Josef and Fox Glacier are hundreds of staff short for the summer season with many struggling to find and afford workers.

A recent survey paints a grim picture of South Westland… Audio

It looked like a hard sell - land stuck next to a noisy neighbour - an international airport, with high voltage cables directly overhead.

But Christchurch Airport has found a solution, devoting 400… Audio

Harsher fines and more restrictions could be on the cards for freedom campers, as the government tries to flush out the bad behaving ones.

The Tourism Minister announced a crackdown on some campers… Audio

The tourism industry is grappling with the prospect of its new normal being years away with billions of dollars lost by then and many more hurdles ahead - including its latest, the Omicron variant.

… Audio

Queenstown businesses are grappling with severe staff shortages - with some managers preparing to pitch in on the front line this summer.

Fully vaccinated people will be able to cross the Auckland… Audio

A South Island mayor wants the trans-Tasman bubble re-inflated saying Aucklanders pose a similar Covid risk as Australian travellers.

From 15 December, fully vaccinated people will be able to travel… Audio

The tourism and hospitality industries are racing to find ways to attract and retain more staff.

They will need an estimated 80,000 new workers over the next five years.

Leaders of the sector have… Audio

With less than a month until harvest, Central Otago orchards are scrambling to find staff.

The region needs upwards of 5000 seasonal workers across the horticulture and viticulture industries during… Audio

Southern DHB is preparing for the worst for next year if Covid-19 becomes endemic in the community.

The DHB says Covid is the single biggest risk to both the community and itself, saying it could… Audio

The Southern District Health Board has been investigating just how big a risk Covid-19 is to the community.

The latest outbreak hasn't yet spread to the south - touch wood - but worst-case modelling… Audio

More than 2000 Great Walk bookings have been cancelled in recent months as Covid-19 continues to take a toll.

In Fiordland, some Milford Track operators are describing it as one of the quietest… Audio

The South Island's streak of no Covid-19 community cases ended over the weekend, prompting discussions about how to reduce further spread.

The unvaccinated person flew from Rotorua to Blenheim late… Audio

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Or at least that's the hope, as Mr Whippy returns to the streets of Dunedin.

It's been more than 10 years since the ice cream vendor was based… Video, Audio

In the midst of the pandemic, Larnach Castle's 150th celebration faced an unusual quandary - not enough brains.

It's hosting a formal banquet to mark the milestone based on the menu its namesake -… Video, Audio

The risk of travellers bringing Covid-19 means some mainlanders are accepting being stuck at level 2, despite no cases there.

The South Island is facing more time under level 2 restrictions while… Audio

Residents in Lake Ōhau are rebuilding their lives and homes while slowly restoring the scorched landscape after last year's devastating fire.

Today marks one year since fire tore through the remote… Video, Audio