In spring last year, a Bright business owner took a quarter of a million dollar gamble and had no idea whether it would pay off.
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After COVID-19 lockdowns and border closures wreaked havoc on many non-essential businesses and tourism operators, Bright Flight Paragliding owner Wally Arcidiacono was unsure how his business would be impacted when it restarted over the warmer months.
"At the beginning of the season, in September/October last year, it was a really crux moment," Mr Arcidiacono said.
"Do we spend 20 to 30 thousand dollars on new sets of student gear with a very unknown nature of things?"
Mr Arcidiacono, who teaches paragliding courses and runs tandem experiences, decided to pursue the investment and said he was "lucky" it turned out well.
"The restrictions were quite tight to start with, we weren't allowed to do tandems at all because we were sitting too close to clients," he said.
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Mr Arcidiacono said he felt for other businesses who hadn't had the same domestic interest as his own.
"As they eased we just happened to be in a niche market where there was demand for it."
Mr Arcidiacono said his business usually ran about five paragliding licensing courses from spring to autumn, but this year he had run eight.
"A lot of people want to learn to fly," he said.
Mr Arcidiacono said COVID-19 had fuelled people to try the activity.
"They can't go overseas for a while, so they want to put their efforts and energy into something else.
"Lockdown was probably a big part of that, just too much time at home in people's own little bubbles and the desire to be out."
But he said the increased interest in the activity wasn't only driven by people wanting to get outside and explore.
He said for many the experience was about making new connections and feeling belonging after a long time of isolation.
"It's not just the beautiful thing of flying off hills, but the social side of it as well," he said. "People are looking for a way to get out of the city and are looking for a crowd, looking for a tribe."
He also attributed COVID-19 for forcing people to stop and reflect on "the realisation the world has changed a little bit" and they hadn't done the things they'd wanted to do.
"A lot of people have said 'it's been on my bucket list'," Mr Arcidiacono said.
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