Queenstown guided walking company Ultimate Steps has become the first local tourism business to insist clients must be fully vaccinated to access its tour products.
The company, which operates guided walks on the world-famous Milford and Routeburn walking tracks, has made the move after undergoing a risk assessment to determine which measures are required to protect staff in the current environment.
Ultimate Steps general manager, Noel Saxon was quoted as saying he viewed the company as being in a “much more risky environment” than a normal hospitality situation.
Customer feedback reportedly has been overwhelmingly positive but there have been cancellations.
Ultimate Hikes is owned by the family of prominent local business man Sir John Davies whose other tourism businesses include ski resort fields Coronet Peak and The Remarkables.
Mike Parker-Brown is a UK-trained and qualified journalist and an award-winning travel communicator with more than 30 years experience.
Since 2002, Mike has worked as a freelance writer and PR consultant providing his services to major organisations in Australia and internationally in the tourism, aviation, hospitality, recruitment and export marketing sectors.