The Restaurant Association of New Zealand is calling on Kiwis to support the local hospitality industry during the Covid-19 outbreak.
“We are hearing from an ever increasing number of business that they are in a desperate situation as a result of the outbreak,” says Restaurant Association Chief Executive Marisa Bidois.
“With dwindling numbers of tourists in the country and local diners staying home for fear of contracting the virus many restaurants and cafes are battling to keep their doors open.”
With bans on all foreign nationals entering the country, the industry which is heavily reliant on tourism, is facing unprecedented losses.
“Our restaurants and cafes are a much loved part of our communities. We know that diners have their favourite places but many of these may face closure if diners continue to stay away.
Dine Out – Take Out
“Restaurateurs are an innovative and collaborative bunch and as you might expect many of them have adapted their offering to cater to changing needs. This includes take out options, home delivery, gift vouchers for use at a later date and adapting restaurant environments to cater for personal distancing.”
“Our industry employs 130,000 people across the country so thousands of livelihoods are at risk, and many communities can’t afford this. We enjoy a vibrant and diverse dining scene in New Zealand and we want to see that continue so we are calling on Kiwis to continue to support their local establishments.”
The Association has joined forces with local tourism RTO’s around the country to urge Kiwis to continue to dine out or take out. It is giving away $200 of dining vouchers every week for six weeks to Kiwi diners.
Kiwis should follow the #DineOutTakeOutNZ and head to www.dineouttakeout.co.nz to find out more.
