Tourism industry calls on political parties to back sector as refreshed strategy unveiled
The industry is facing significant changes from climate change, AI, local government reforms and growing competition from other destinations, its CEO says.
New Zealand's tourism industry has launched a refreshed strategy to 2050, aiming for balanced growth and increased economic, community and environmental benefits. The Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) first introduced the plan in 2023, with CEO Rebecca Ingram now calling on political parties to support the sector as it undergoes significant changes. Ingram described the strategy as a blueprint for boosting tourism's positive impacts in New Zealand between now and 2050.
The refreshed plan focuses on three main areas: ensuring global competitiveness and connectivity, climate resilience and adaptation, and how the industry responds to AI. Ingram noted that tourism cannot reach its full potential when responsibility for it is fragmented, informal, and under-resourced across central government, local government, and the industry. Some destinations are facing infrastructure constraints that affect visitor experiences, community support, business productivity, and sustainable growth.
The strategy was unveiled just days after the National Party ruled out a bed tax if re-elected, despite the prime minister suggesting the possibility two weeks earlier. The government also announced plans to cap council rate increases at four percent. Ingram stressed the importance of addressing tourism funding, finding different national funding options, and exploring the International Visitor Levy, potential new national mechanisms to help councils fund tourism development and infrastructure.
Despite progress made on the first strategy, such as the introduction of New Zealand's first tourism statement, modernising tourism and conservation through the Conservation Amendment Bill, and tourism becoming an industry-led subject in years 12 and 13, Ingram called for long-term planning, investment, and commitment. She emphasized that while there has been industry momentum, the focus on industry funding and the use of the International Visitor Levy should remain a priority moving forward.
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