RNZ
17 February 2025, 6:00 AM
The government has announced a $30 million spend on tourism infrastructure and biodiversity projects.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka, alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, made the announcement at the post-Cabinet brief on Monday.
It includes $11m spent to improve popular visitor sites and further $19m towards biodiversity efforts.
The $11m tourism funding would go towards:
The $19m biodiversity funding would go towards:
Potaka said the spending came from the government's International Visitor Levy which is paid for by tourists entering the country, from the funds raised before the government increased the cost from $35 per tourist to $100.
It follows the announcement on Sunday of a further $500,000 spent on an ad campaign for attracting Australian tourists during the off-peak "shoulder season".
Labour and the Greens supported tourism growth at the time but said there should instead be more funding for tourism infrastructure, which was already struggling to cope with demand in some areas.
The "Everyone Must Go" slogan also faced criticism and mockery from the parties as well as as well as the public.