The first wave of vouchers will be allocated to registered Aucklanders this Saturday, 15 January as part of the Explore Tāmaki Makaurau Voucher Programme.
Vouchers ($50 for individuals or $100 for families) can be used to cover or contribute towards eligible deals on the Explore Tāmaki Makaurau Bookme website. Successful voucher recipients will be notified by email on Saturday, 15 January. Registrants need to check their email and spam folders for the notification.
Since 15 December, nearly 140,000 Aucklanders have registered for the voucher programme. Registrants who haven’t received a voucher in the first draw will have the chance to receive a voucher in the three remaining draws that will take place on 1 February, 15 February and 1 March. A total of 100,000 vouchers are available, and Aucklanders can still register for the remaining draws until 25 February at www.exploreaucklandnow.co.nz.
A special Explore Tāmaki Makaurau Bookme website lists eligible deals and features more than 90 deals from activity, attraction, and experience operators across the region.
Eligible experiences include tourism attractions, tours, commercial pools and water-based attractions, experiences such as biking, kayaking and paddle boarding, cultural tourism experiences such as exhibitions or performances, activities such as escape rooms, trampoline parks and mini putt, museums, and art galleries.
Mayor Phil Goff encourages Aucklanders to make the most of the opportunity to get out and explore their region over the summer months.
“These vouchers recognise the long months of lockdown in 2021 when Aucklanders made significant sacrifices to protect the rest of New Zealand from COVID-19,” he says.
“I hope families and people throughout the region will enjoy this opportunity to experience some of the world-class attractions and destinations that make Auckland a great place to live. By encouraging people to move around the city and visit new places, the vouchers will also provide a boost for businesses such as restaurants and cafes.”
The region’s economic and cultural agency, Auckland Unlimited, is delivering the voucher programme on behalf of the New Zealand Government.
Auckland Unlimited’s Director of Investment and Industry, Pam Ford, says the programme provides an overdue boost in business for Auckland’s attraction and activity operators.
“We have had great feedback and interest from operators to take part in the programme and we are thrilled to showcase such wide range of fun experiences on offer across Auckland.”
“As expected, thousands of Aucklanders have registered for vouchers, and we want to remind Aucklanders that they can still register for a voucher until 25 February for the remaining three draws,” says Ford.
Vouchers have been allocated randomly through an automated process and will be distributed based on the population size of each local area. This is to achieve an even distribution of vouchers across all eligible areas and communities.
The Explore Tāmaki Makaurau Voucher Programme is one programme of the Reactivating Tāmaki Makaurau Support Package announced by the New Zealand Government on 1 December 2021. Other programmes include the Explore Tāmaki Makaurau Discount Programme and the Local Activation Programme. Further information on these programmes is available at www.aucklandnz.com/reactivate.