Popular skifield accused of disloyalty as Aussies snap up bookings for 2022

A Nelson woman is fuming that she has missed out on booking a highly sought-after ski lodge next winter, in favour of Australian visitors.

However, the company says it is honouring previous bookings which were rolled over after Australians were unable to visit due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Nic Kidson, her family and her sister’s family, have spent $900 a night to stay at an apartment on the Cardrona skifield during the July school holidays for the past two years. It is one of 15 on-site apartments, which are highly sought after and booked well in advance, she said.

‘‘That is why it felt so precious. ‘‘We were so keen to be able to get it.’’ She understood her group would be given the first option to book for the same time slot next year as the current guests.

However, she was miffed when she was only offered a three-night slot for next year, which was outside the school holidays.

When she questioned missing out on the school holiday booking, she was told it was given to a large party that were ‘‘long-standing returning guests’’.

‘‘They have been unable to make it the last two years, and because of this they were added to the very top of the list,’’ a company representative said in an email.

It has since been confirmed that the group is Australian.

Kidson said she felt really let down by the tourism company, which appeared to be showing a lack of loyalty to the New Zealanders who had supported them during tough times.

‘‘As soon as the borders open up again are they going to dump us?’’ The Wayfare Group, which owns and operates Cardrona skifield and other tourism attractions, pocketed more than $10 million in government grants and subsidies last year and $2.9m in wage subsidies this year.

‘‘They receive millions of dollars of effectively our money, and yet they are showing no loyalty to us who are supporting them during this time,’’ she said.

‘‘We have effectively been used during Covid-19.’’ Kidson also questioned the business sense of booking Australians, when overseas travel may still be restricted next year.

Wayfare chief experience officer Bridget Legnavsky said the Australian group had effectively prebooked the apartment because their 2019 and 2020 bookings were rolled over after they were unable to travel.

‘‘The time [Kidson] wanted is already booked,’’ Legnavsky said. ‘‘We can’t kick those people out.’’ Kidson had only been able to get the booking the past two years because the previously booked group could not come, Legnavsky said.

The company wanted to be transparent and was now planning to review its booking policies, after this issue was raised, she said.

Australian visitors were not favoured over New Zealanders.

‘‘We are not favouring any nationality.’’

Legnavsky and other company representatives had been in touch with Kidson to explain the situation, she said. It had been challenging to handle refunds and bookings during Covid-19.

‘‘We are trying to hold on to our guests, wherever they come from.’’

Bookings were available a year in advance and the apartments were already full over the 2022 school holidays.