Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says the combination of ramping up marketing activity and the recent announcements would start to give tourism the boost it needed. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker
The government has unveiled a new $3 million fund to attract more tourists to the regions this autumn and winter.
The contestable Regional Tourism Boost fund will open at the end of this month for activity between April and July.
It is open to collaborative groups and will need to include at least two regional tourism organisations.
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said she expected regions to join up to accelerate work to promote their wider region as part of the government's push to return visitor numbers to 2019 levels - it is currently sitting at just over 80 percent of pre-Covid levels.
"Quality is also part of the process. Regions will demonstrate they have the capacity to host an increased number of visitors, ensuring a smooth and special experience once they arrive," she said.
The international visitor levy will pay for the fund.
Tourism receives a summer surge with more than a third of visitors travelling here during the peak season, accounting for 40 percent of total spend.
The new fund is part of the government's Tourism Boost efforts, which also include the "Everyone Must Go" ad campaign aiming to lure Australians during the off-peak "shoulder season", and a $30m spend on tourism site improvements and conservation projects.
The opposition laid into the ad campaign's slogan, saying it makes New Zealand look like a "clearance bin" destination, or could refer to the queues for toilets at high-demand sites.
The criticism has generated international news headlines too, with commentators saying "Everyone Must Go" was tone-deaf as New Zealand battles record emigration.
Upston said the combination of ramping up marketing activity and the recent announcements would start to give tourism the boost it needed.
"Tourism is a crucial part of our focus on economic growth, with domestic and international tourism expenditure at almost $38 billion and supporting nearly 200,000 jobs.
"This is a year of opportunity. 2025 is our chance to reinforce the value of tourism to a humming, vibrant country, where we welcome anyone, from anywhere, anytime."
Last May, Tourism New Zealand announced a four-year plan to grow tourism by $5 billion by attracting more visitors outside of summer.
