Govt invests another $13.5 million in tourism
The government has announced another multimillion-dollar funding boost for Tourism New Zealand in a bid to attract 72,000 more visitors to our shores.
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said $13.5 million in funding would help to target the core markets of Australia, the United States and China over the next few years.
"This investment is expected to generate around $300 million in spending, which is a very strong return on investment," she said.
"International visitor numbers continue to climb and this boost will help drive further economic growth throughout the entire country."
Less than two months ago, she announced a separate $13.5 million boost for Tourism New Zealand to fund marketing in the shorter term, with the aims of attracting an extra 23,000 international visitors by the end of March 2026 and bringing in an additional $100 million.
The international visitor levy - which was nearly tripled last year - is covering the costs for both.
"We know how important marketing is to attract visitors, with around 14 percent of international holiday visitors directly influenced by Tourism New Zealand's marketing activity," Upston said.
"We want people to know New Zealand is open for business and we welcome visitors with open arms."
She described the funding as the first investment in the government's Tourism Growth Roadmap, which outlines the initiatives to help the government and industry double the value of tourism exports by 2034.
"We know how important marketing is to attract visitors, with around 14 percent of international holiday visitors directly influenced by Tourism New Zealand's marketing activity," Upston said.
Last year, Tourism New Zealand unveiled an ambitious strategy to grow tourism by $5 billion by attracting more visitors outside of summer over four years.
It aimed to grow international tourism spend by 8.7 percent, or an additional $900 million in the strategy's first year.
February marked the largest number of US visitors that New Zealand had recorded in a month.
At tourism conference TRENZ last month, Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy said that had been buoyed by airlines opening up new routes, a tailwind of a strong American dollar and focused marketing, and the outlook for US visitors remained really positive.
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