New website for Arrowtown
Arrowtown Promotion and Business Association (APBA) has launched a new website to showcase the town's unique offering: www.arrowtown.com.
APBA Manager Nicky Busst says in addition to Arrowtown’s gold-mining heritage, culinary experiences and boutique shopping, the outdoor recreational and artist offering has become immensely attractive to visitors and locals.
“The last year in particular has seen a significant shift in our arts and cultural offering in Arrowtown," Busst says. "We have had new galleries and studios open and many also let you meet the artist in-person as they curate their masterpieces in situ.
" Arrowtown also continues to become the go to place for biking, running and outdoor events. Because of this we needed to evolve the website to better showcase the town’s offerings and support local businesses and events.”
The new website by APBA, the non-profit organisation responsible for the marketing and advocacy of Arrowtown, offers an improved user experience with easy access to detailed business information and local trails and events. Users can also toggle between the seasons for information and what to expect when they come to Arrowtown.
“The website highlights how Arrowtown comes alive so uniquely in each season. Ultimately, we would love for people to come and enjoy Arrowtown in every season,” Busst says.
“We are incredibly fortunate as a town to host outdoor events like The Motatapu, The Arrowtown Backyard Ultra, Cyclorama, Queenstown Marathon, and The WILD, amongst others. These events tend to bring in passionate participants who stay local, spend local and are likely to return to Arrowtown."
In relation to the economic value of events and biking, APBA Chairman and local economist Benje Patterson conducted a report on The WILD in January 2024 and a biking report in 2022.
“Although The WILD was cancelled this year it is estimated that the 2023 event brought $1million of new spending into Queenstown Lakes, with two-thirds of participants staying in Arrowtown," Patterson says. "This spending demonstrates some of the value being generated by Arrowtown’s burgeoning reputation as New Zealand’s trail running mecca.
“And with biking, we already see tens of thousands of visitors passing through the village each year and there is more exciting growth to come."
The new Wharehuanui Trail adds an important connection to Arthurs Point and will soon be followed by the opening of the Hugo Tunnel and Kimi-ākau Bridge to Tucker Beach and the Kawarau Gorge Trail through to Bannockburn which opens in 2026.
"It is anticipated that biking could become almost 50% of the size of the ski visitor economy by 2026," Patterson adds. "Arrowtown is an ideal hub in the heart of this trail network."
In addition to the visitor-facing side, the website also features a significant upgrade for their business members with a one-stop-shop area so local businesses now have easy access to data, events and insights. This was designed and crafted in partnership with the powerhouse duo Maranda & Kim from Whitelaw Mitchell.
“They just understood the vision we were trying to achieve as well as the complex nature of a site that had to perform for both our visitors and our members and delivered beyond our expectations, we’re extremely delighted with the end result,” Busst says.
