One of the last big resorts to offer “staycation” rates and deals for locals until June this year has reintroduced the offer for a limited time.

The Edgewater Resort and Spa is offering staycation deals that run from August 11, until September 4, 2022.

According to Edgewater Resort and Spa sales and marketing manager Emile Kairua, a minimum three-night stay is required with complimentary 5GB data and daily continental breakfast also on offer.  

“These are the slower patches of nights that we have got that are available,” Kairua told Cook Islands News. “It also ties in with our Father’s Day promotions coming up.”

“We are also pretty full at the moment, which is why this is the only real time we can do something like this,” he said. “It’s probably the only opportunity to do anything with the local market on this side of December.”

Earlier this year, Edgewater Resort and Spa chief executive officer Andrew Whittaker told Cook Islands News that the staycation business model had enabled them to continue to employ staff through the pandemic.

He said it was short about 10 staff and would keep a watching brief on the situation, with the possibility of reviving staycation offers in September.

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation also previously predicted visitors to the island nation to top 12,000 and possibly get as high as 14,000 for June, with similarly busy numbers predicted for July.

Kairua said: “We have been able to secure staff from Fiji, and we have a few coming over in the coming weeks. By September we should have all the staff that we need, which will be good.”

“(Also) our high season is at the moment,” he added. “July and August have been really high occupancy months.”