A drop in the number of people wishing to train in adventure tourism is causing some industry operators to fear that they will not be able to staff their businesses, once tourism ‘rebounds’ from Covid-19.

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) adventure tourism coordinator Sam Russek said course registrations were about half of what they were before Covid, with only about 10 applications for new students l next year so far.

Staff at other higher education institutions reported similar declines, he said.

“I feel like there is this perception that tourism is dead or dying.”

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While some tourism businesses were struggling, others in the region – including whitewater rafting operators – were doing well, he said.

Some now had more business than staff, largely due to the departure of employees when Covid first struck.

“In the last month, I got six phone calls from different people asking for workers… they all want people who are skilled, knowledgeable and experienced. But there is a huge void.

Toby Wild of Moana Stand Up Paddleboards and Kayaks said his business, on Tāhunanui Beach in Nelson, had not been as badly affected by the pandemic as feared.

The operation needed at least one other full-time staff member, but had not received any applications from sufficiently qualified people, he said.

“We get … a lot of [interest from] hobbyists and recreationists who are probably very good kayakers, but not guides, which you can’t just learn to paddle … with mum and dad at the bach. “

Large operators whose staff had moved were also worried about what would happen next year, with indications that New Zealand’s border restrictions could start to ease in the first quarter, Wild said.

“By the summer of 2022, it could all start over… we can’t just pick people up from the streets.”

Abel Tasman Canyons co-owner Toine Houtenbos was running a “leaner” operation through Covid, but said business was stable. There was room in the area for newcomers, he said.

“If NMIT can provide local tourism operators with good potential staff at the junior level, then that will help us in the long run.

“We just have to fill this void because of the people who left the industry because of Covid. There will be a pretty big gap at some point.

The job was to be in amazing places on a daily basis, working with people who “really love being there,” he said.

“The basic skills that you learn in the outdoors, in terms of logistics, safety and human skills, are really useful for other routes. “

Golden Bay Kayaks co-owner Tony Bateup said Covid-19 accelerated a “leak” of people skilled in the field.

His company mainly hired Canadians (before the pandemic), who had completed several years of kayaking training and tended to “take the job more seriously” than Kiwis, he said.

Polytechs here could offer more specialized training and companies pay better, he said.

“Sometimes our guides don’t work for a long time, so we want them to be able to survive while waiting,” Bateup said.

“Also, we are paying for a good product. “

The company’s only guide at the moment, Sam Miles, said workers across the industry were signaling wages were going in the right direction.

But some still needed better security and more opportunities to develop their skills, said Miles, a Kiwi who spent 10 years in Canada.

A more “personalized” form of tourism was emerging, he said.

“Previously it seemed like tourism in New Zealand was quite intensive; more people across.

“Now it’s more quality, less travel. “