The sixth annual forum brings together tourism academics, business leaders, policy communities, industry organisations and others to discuss and debate key challenges and opportunities confronting New Zealand’s tourism industry.
During his presentation, Mr Doocey announced a new $5million "regional events promotion fund", aimed at encouraging visitors to travel around the country outside peak seasons, open to all regional tourism organisations (RTOs) and councils without RTOs "outside of the main centres".
"We know that [the] main areas of Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Queenstown and Christchurch are already well visited by both international and domestic visitors, which is why we’ve targeted this fund at the regions.
"It’s important that we showcase the whole country, rather than focus on a few tourist hotspots," he said.
Destination Queenstown chief executive Mat Woods described that as "disappointing".
He noted the Queenstown Lakes’ destination management plan (DMP) focused on "high-contributing visitors, and event visitors often stay longer in our region and interact with our community".
"We’ve focused [more] on the shoulder seasons than any other area, so it’s disappointing that he doesn’t acknowledge that we would also require [access to the fund]."
On DMPs, Mr Doocey also seemed cold on any funding coming from the government for their implementation.
In 2020, 31 RTOs were given $47 million to develop the plans — at the 2022 Tourism Policy School former Tourism Minister Stuart Nash bemoaned the lack of pace by the organisations developing them.
The Southern Lakes’ plan, the keystone project of which is the carbon zero 2030 goal, was unanimously endorsed by the Queenstown Lakes District Council last February — it is understood the plan will cost tens of millions to fully implement.
Mr Doocey yesterday said the previous government decided not to fund DMP implementation, "and I’m in no position at the moment, or have any information or evidence, why we would reverse that decision, other than just to say we’re open to continue talking about it".
"I suppose the fear is that you put money into a plan it just becomes about administrating the plan, rather than implementing the plan.
"It’s interesting around the issue of funding DMPs and I’ve heard from as many people, actually, who say ‘don’t do it, it’s up for private capital to see the market opportunities in DMPs and bring them to life’, versus a group of people saying ‘in fact, you’re losing a lot of opportunities by not funding DMPs as well’."
Mr Woods said that was "frustrating".
"We’ve spent two and a-half years, had huge community engagement and there is clearly no support [from] central government for DMP implementation and we need to find our own funding to do that."
That was why Destination Southern Lakes was established last September.
He said it was a long-term plan, which included regenerative tourism by 2030 "and then it keeps going after that".
"There’s not an end date to it; how do we implement those projects, and how do we keep them ongoing?"
On the hot topic of a proposed visitor levy, Mr Doocey remained non-committal.
He told the school his three priorities for the tourism portfolio was growing the value of international tourism, supporting regions to maximise the value of tourism, and supporting the tourism and hospitality workforce.
"I suppose the real question there, and I’ll leave it hanging ... if government is receiving a revenue stream from tourism, how do local areas receive a revenue stream that will make tourism sustainable as well?"
During question time, he said there had been almost unanimous consensus across the country of the need for a visitor levy of some sort.
"Have we made any decisions as a government around that?
"No.
"We’re not at any stage to put anything at the moment into it, other than to say ... you think that is a vital way forward for growth, as well."
Mr Doocey later told media any potential levy had not yet been discussed in Parliament and had no timeframes for when it may happen.
"At the moment I’m just listening, I haven’t made any decisions in that space."
