A South Korean tourist is dead and four others seriously injured after their tour bus rolled on the Milford highway near Te Anau.
The driver and all 12 passengers are Korean nationals. They were travelling from Te Anau to Milford Sound when the incident occurred at 8.30am on Thursday.
Those seriously injured and were airlifted to hospitals in the lower South Island. The remaining passengers were taken to Te Anau for treatment for minor injuries.
Tourism operators in the lower South Island say they do not expect news of the fatal crash to deter visitors to the region.
Destination Queenstown chief executive Steven Pahl told Checkpoint he believes the region's tourism trade will not suffer as a result of the accident.
Mr Pahl says many tourists visit Queenstown and Te Anau to experience the snowy weather and unfortunately that can mean dangerous conditions.
The road between Te Anau and Milford Sound will remain closed for the rest of Thursday as police investigate the cause of the crash.
