Tourism industry flexes its political muscle by unveiling its own election manifesto

Walkers on the Tongariro Crossing. The number of walkers on the track has grown markedly. Photo / Mike Scott

The tourism industry is flexing its political muscle, releasing its own election manifesto and urging tourist business operators and other voters to carefully assess how candidates in the September poll stack against it.

Priority actions for the incoming Government to "supercharge the tourism industry's success" were unveiled by Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) at the industry's international trade event, Trenz, in Auckland.

The industry, now New Zealand's biggest export earner, has three priority actions for the incoming Government: ensuring a sustainable industry; investment; support for the industry.

The industry gets the opportunity to lay out these expectations directly to the Government this week.

Tourism Minister Paula Bennett and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry are scheduled to speak at Trenz on Thursday and there are growing expectations that some of the more than $1 billion the government takes in GST will be invested in infrastructure and helping the Department of Conservation (DoC) cope with pressure on national parks.

In the past year around $17m has been earmarked for infrastructure in small centres during four years and that figure was publicly welcomed as a good started but privately as underwhelming by the industry.

Bennett has said there would be help for small communities struggling to build toilet blocks and car parks for the record number of tourists but has been careful to temper expectations of a big spend up.

In the document released today, TIA chief executive Chris Roberts said the industry would work to increase the value of tourism whoever is in charge of the treasury benches post-election.

"Our Tourism 2025 goal is to build an industry that is socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. We can do this with political and policy
recognition, backed by a supportive environment for infrastructure investment."

TIA worked with business intelligence provider Marketview to calculate how much international and domestic visitors spent in each electorate in 2016.

The figures, drawn from electronic card spend, offered insights into how widely the tourism dollar was distributed around the entire country.

In Auckland Central more than $2.5 billion is spent while in Clutha-Southland, which includes Queenstown, $2.49b is spent. Roberts said all electorates benefited from tourism spending.

''While we recognise that the current tourism boom is placing pressure on some places, this insight clearly demonstrates the value our visitors bring," Roberts said.

Tourism numbers
• Annual total spend $34.7b, up 12.2%
• Domestic $20.2b, up 7.4%
• International $14.5b, up 19.6%
• Record arrival numbers: 3.5m in 2016, up 12%

TIA will use the manifesto to promote the value of tourism to MPs, election candidates and the voting public in the run-up to the September 23 election, Roberts said.

Tourism operators will be encouraged to discuss the manifesto priorities with their local candidates.

Among the 29 actions TIA is seeking from the incoming Government are:

• Support the tourism sustainability goal through positive policy and regulatory settings, and funding.

• Continue support for the post-earthquake recovery of Kaikoura and Christchurch as key regions for the industry's economic sustainability.

• Commit to enhancing our freshwater resources and make measurable progress on Predator Free New Zealand.

• Work with the tourism industry to establish a sustainable funding model to address medium- and longer-term local and mixed use infrastructure needs.

• Recognise that tourism concessionaires provide income to DoC as well as enhancing visitors' enjoyment of the public conservation estate.

• Reduce barriers to private sector investment in new attractions and activities on the public conservation estate, and promote opportunities for concessionaires.

• Concession costs and cost review systems need to be transparent and predictable.

• Support Customs, the Ministry for Primary Industries and Immigration NZ to work in genuine partnership with the tourism industry on continuous improvement to the border experience.

• Continue support for visitor safety initiatives, including the visiting driver project, and adventure and outdoor tourism safety.

• Ensure immigration settings allow employers to secure quality staff when no New Zealanders are unavailable.

Roberts said TIA also wanted the tourism portfolio to continue to be held by a senior front-bench minister to reflect the industry's importance to growing New Zealand's economy. Bennett is deputy prime minister, John Key holding the role previously.