The days of free entry to Hamilton Gardens are numbered for visitors from out of town as work begins on a new precinct at the flagship attraction.
Tourists will pay $10 for entry to the themed gardens when the entry precinct is complete, possibly by the end of the year, while Hamilton residents and children under 16 will get in for free.
Work is set to start next month on the area, which is also intended to better open up the Gardens for visitors, making it easier to see what is on offer.
Hamilton Gardens has half a million visitors annually, a third of whom are thought to be local, with a further third from around New Zealand and the remainder from overseas.
The entry fee was forecast to bring in $14.9 million over 10 years when it was set as part of the city council’s long-term plan, an average $1.49 million annually.
The Gardens also hopes to increase revenue from retail and venue hire, which was worth about $500,000 annually pre-Covid, visitor services and products director Tamsin Webb said.
The annual operating budget for the Gardens, which are Hamilton’s biggest tourist attraction, is $5.5 million.
As part of the development, CCTV will be upgraded. There will be wi-fi, more bike racks, more toilets, a new PA system, safety lighting and automated bollards. “I think that the offering that the Hamilton Gardens has is world-class, and it is well worth an entry fee.”
