New Zealand government backs national tourism plan

The New Zealand government is about to inject some much-needed cash into the country’s national tourism plan, it has just been announced.

The New Zealand Minister of Tourism, Damien O’Connor, revealed the government’s intentions at a tourism industry conference held recently in Christchurch, on the south island.

A Tourism Strategy Implementation Fund is already in place, funded in the amount of NZ$2 million per year, and according to O’Connor, the government is now committing to an additional NZ$3.5 million.

The national tourism plan spans seven years, and emphasizes four areas, including the environment, offshore marketing, tourism research and workforce issues, he noted.

O’Connor said: “Tourism’s future depends upon sustainability and delivering greater value from each and every visitor to this country. The industry is one of the most significant contributors to the New Zealand economy.”

The tourism ministry maintains that the country would be able to survive a drop in visitor numbers over the next few years that may result from global economic conditions. The additional funds from the government could help stem this decline.

The economic slowdown is expected to reduce visitor numbers to New Zealand by 4.7 per cent over the next three years, according to a Bloomberg report.

www.newzealand.com