Tourism Minister

The TIF, which was launched in 2017 to support tourism infrastructure, comes to an end after supporting nearly 300 projects.

The current mandatory seven-day Covid isolation requirement could be about to go.

Tourism Minister Peeni Henare says the direct funding of regional destination management plans is something a Labour government would look at after the election in October.

The new team will be funded from the IVL and will help regions address tourism pressures.

Tourism ministers from New Zealand and China have met this week to reaffirm their commitment to the industry and new opportunities.

The Hauraki Rail Trail will receive $2m from the government to enable the repair, recovery and maintenance of the popular cycle route.

This is more than 83% of arrivals seen over winter in pre-Covid 2019.

Tourism Minister Peeni Henare on what drives his politics and his priorities for the portfolio.

The figure is down on last year’s $288m.

“Ultimately, it’s a decision for MBIE and the minister on what they want as the future role for Tourism New Zealand” – René de Monchy.

The National Party says Tourism Minister Peeni Henare is undermining tourism operators for suggesting they should lower their prices for domestic visitors and charge internationals more.

At Friday’s TPS, the tourism minister tackles questions about some of the complex issues impacting the sector.

Peeni Henare is meeting government tourism officials today as he gets to work on the portfolio.

The associate tourism minister takes charge of the portfolio, replacing Stuart Nash.

While industry associations have welcomed Peeni Henare to his new role as tourism minister, some operators took to social media to express their displeasure at the implications for tourism.

We need to work together to drive the growth that we know we can deliver, says the tourism minister.

A wet start to 2023 followed by the impacts of Cyclone Hale has hurt holiday hotspots like Northland, Hawke’s Bay and Coromandel, but government support for affected operators is not in the pipeline.

The tourism minister says success in the sector in NZ is not about visitor numbers.

The tourism minister says attracting world-class events and living up to and protecting NZ’s clean, green image are helping the recovery.

National’s tourism spokesperson Todd McClay has criticised the length of time the government is taking to launch the $54m Innovation Programme for Tourism Recovery.

New Zealand and Australian trade and tourism ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to boosting trans-Tasman cooperation.

It could have raised up to $444m annually to support tourism, conservation, and to help tackle climate change.

The tourism minister says INZ is under “a great deal of stress” coping with demand as NZ ramps up its promotion.

The sector needs to be innovative in the way it markets itself, particular to those flying longhaul, says the tourism minister.

The tourism minister notes “challenging questions” over the funding and execution of the tourism ITP.

The ITP recommends eight actions to improve the sector’s workforce.

The tourism minister says the industry should apply for the new $54m innovation fund and suggests a project he would be happy to support.

There’s an opportunity to tell our stories better not only to overseas markets but to ourselves as well, says the tourism minister.

But it’s too early to say what shape govt support may take in the future, says the tourism minister.

The tourism minister highlights the challenges ahead for the sector but also signals the start of a new positive phase.

The tourism minister outlines how he wants the Innovation Programme for Tourism Recovery to be prioritised.

Tourism has to build back better and that means changes to the way things have been done in the past, says the tourism minister.

How cruise managed the pandemic will be studied for years, says the tourism minister.

The tourism minister will attend TNZ’s Regional Showcase in Sydney to spread the message that NZ is open for business.

The tourism minister’s comments could derail “the most transformational mahi anyone in tourism has ever seen”.

In his opening address at the Tourism Policy School, the tourism minister challenges the industry to do better.

Reconnecting New Zealand is not just the name of a govt strategy, it’s an absolute must-do for tourism in 2022, writes the minister.

MIQ should be scrapped for double-vaccinated arrivals now, says the National Party.

After a difficult last week for tourism, we asked the tourism minister to address industry concerns – here’s his reply.

The hospitality industry was in the stages of a nascent recovery in the months leading up to the current lockdown, according to Stuart Nash.

Key meetings attended by tourism minister Stuart Nash since taking up the portfolio in November 2020 include those with various taskforce bodies, local councils and industry representatives.

The tourism minister also wants to see an expansion of differential pricing across the sector for international visitors.

More recovery than regenerative, the plan introduces yet another initiative to reimagine tourism.

The tourism sector has welcomed the new strategy praising its targeted support for operators, regions and its transformation initiative.

Inbounders, RTOs, and the Queenstown and Milford areas are among those supported.

There is a lot to unpick in tourism minister Stuart Nash’s new plan for the sector and below is his full speech delivered to TRENZ Hui 2021 at the Christchurch Town Hall.

The regions hardest-hit by the slump in international tourism will get priority.

The minister ditches the Tourism Futures Taskforce weeks before it was due to complete its work “re-imagining” tourism.

Tourism minister Stuart Nash has taken three briefings specifically related to bed taxes, says the ACT Party.

The tourism minister defends his TPS speech and says he did announce new support for the sector.