Mr Boult announced the ``Pride in your Premises'' initiative yesterday, which aims to encourage business and commercial property owners to smarten up the presentation of their buildings.
The concept came after he reflected on what he saw during recent strolls around downtown Queenstown, Arrowtown and Wanaka.
``For every business that is immaculately and proudly presented in line with our status as a leading visitor destination, I noticed another that would benefit from some attention to its appearance.''
The initiative is being supported by the Queenstown and Wanaka chambers of commerce, Downtown Queenstown and the Arrowtown Business Promotion Association.
``Our hope is that this campaign will engage the business sector, trigger some healthy competition and influence businesses and property owners to put some fresh thought into how they are presenting their investment.''
Improvements would not necessarily require a large expense, he said.
``It may be as simple as ensuring shopfronts are clear of rubbish during the day, giving shopfronts a lift through a damn good clean, and being a bit creative.
``At the end of the day it's got to be good for business and will set us up well for the busy winter season that's just ahead.''
He also issued a personal plea to local residents to set a good example to visitors by avoiding littering in the districts.
``Our town custodians do a great job of keeping the streets clean; we can make their job so much easier by being conscientious about putting our litter in the bin.
``I understand from the police that there is an established link between town pride and lower crime rates, so this initiative will be good for our whole community.''
Mr Boult said the entry process for the competition - which he would judge - was simple.
``I'll be looking for a couple of `before and after' photos and a description of what a business has done to improve their street frontage.''
The top entries from across the district would be awarded a gold `Pride in your Premises' award to display in their shopfronts and all entries will go into a draw for an Air New Zealand Mystery Break for two.
Entries are open on the Queenstown Lakes District Council website and close on June 2.
