The money would not be directed toward building infrastructure, consent processes or increasing staff at Hawke's Bay Tourism. It would be used for marketing initiatives and campaigns outside the region, as that was the area that needed "significant" increases in activity, he said.
Ms Dundas said Hawke's Bay Tourism did not fare well on the contribution list from councils or ratepayers when compared with other regions.
Taupo picked up $1,750,000 - about double what went into driving the tourism industry here.
And while Bay of Plenty and Nelson received more in their coffers, they fell behind what tourism raised in the Bay.
Ms Dundas said there was a strong national plan at work in attracting people to New Zealand.
"People are coming here and that will grow so we have to make sure Hawke's Bay does not get left off that list - we can't miss out on this."
She said it was critical to "get the word out" but felt that under the constraints of funding that was not able to be carried out at the level Hawke's Bay Tourism would like.
"We need to stand out and we need to tell people about what we have but we are not doing that to our potential."
It was all about national campaigns - campaigns based around the four seasonal quarters of the year.
There had been no change in funding for tourism since 2011, Ms Dundas said, yet there had been clear growth in the amount of revenue the industry created for the region.
Regions such as Auckland and Queenstown were able to grab great shares of the visitor market because they had the money to set publicity campaigns in place, she said.
There was no doubt how crucial tourism was to the Bay.
Ms Dundas said in Napier alone the cafes and restaurants collectively turned over about $39million in the last year.
"And that's from visitors alone."
Across the region there were about 5000 people working specifically in the tourism industry.
Creating an increasingly vibrant economy driven by tourism, which appealed to young people, would also benefit in keeping them in the region.
Hawke's Bay Tourism had not been going it alone in seeking more financial support and she said the industry across the board was behind them.
"And we have worked in with all the councils and we've all agreed to this submission. So it is a strong voice."
The organisation also worked in closely with groups such as Hawke's Bay Winegrowers, Food Hawke's Bay and various business organisations, including the Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Hickton said the future, in terms of tourism, was positive and there to be embraced, adding that the funding gap like the one between the Bay and Taupo needed to be sorted.
"Clearly, if we want to capture our share of the future growth our message needs to be heard by potential domestic and international visitors, and currently we don't have the funds to compete."
