National plans to boost tourism recovery to help economy
National Party leader Christopher Luxon was in Queenstown today to announce plans to boost the recovery of tourism, if elected.
The plan includes lifting the upper age for working holiday visas from 30 to 35 years, and allowing people to apply for a second and third work visa while worker shortages continue, while also removing the median wage requirement.
Luxon also announced plans to create a new 80km Great Walk in the South Island at Waiau – Toa/Molesworth, to co-invest $3 million in e-bike chargers to electrifying the New Zealand Cycle Trail, and a $5m contestable fund for Regional Tourism Organisations, such as Destination Queenstown, to promote regional events.
It will also task the proposed National Infrastructure Agency to work with councils to provide more funding to areas with high visitor numbers but low ratepayer bases, such as Queenstown Lakes.
Lakes Weekly Bulletin will have more detail on the plans in a story this afternoon, and also what Luxon said about funding for Queenstown infrastructure and what it will do about the housing crisis.
National’s Tourism spokesperson Joseph Mooney, Queenstown's MP, says National will "rebuild the economy and manage it well so we can all get ahead".
"Tourism is one of New Zealand's largest export earners, and the money it earns helps New Zealand pay its bills and afford the public services on which we all rely," Mooney says.
"However, the combination of the pandemic and the Labour Government have taken tourism backwards. More than a year since borders re-opened, visitor numbers and tourism jobs have not fully recovered. High inflation, high interest rates and broken immigration settings have punished the tourism and hospitality sectors, pushing many small operators to the brink.
"National will deliver practical and sensible support to make our beautiful country even more attractive to visitors, so tourism operators – including those in the regions – can get on with delivering world-class experiences and hospitality and growing their businesses and the economy."
Luxon says a National Government would also make changes to Department of Conservation concessions, so businesses such as NZSki operating on the DoC estate have more security in their tenure and therefore confidence about investing in their businesses.
"The total cost of the package of improvements will be $22 million over four years. National will fund this from unallocated revenue from the International Visitor Levy," Mooney says.
"These are useful, practical and affordable initiatives to help tourism recover after a difficult few years.
"A stable National-led Government will manage the economy well to get it working for all New Zealanders. A thriving tourism sector, increasing New Zealand’s export income, is an important part of that plan."
