New Zealand’s business events industry has welcomed the Government’s drive to support domestic tourism through events with NZ$50 million (US$33.3 million).
The injection will go to nine major regional groups across the country via the Regional Events Fund.
The Regional Events Fund comes as a welcome addition to the government’s recently announced Domestic Events Fund, in which 20 of the 200 events receiving support were conferences and business events. The mechanics of how the fund will be distributed is still being worked through with further announcements to come.
Conventions & Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) Chief Executive, Lisa Hopkins welcomed the support.
She said: “This longer-term investment in events will support the rebuilding of the visitor economy and provide valuable assistance for the people who work within it.
“The fund will be a major boost for existing events, as well as the chance to develop new ones, building capability across the country. It gives the industry some funding opportunity across the next two to four years and will be especially helpful for 2021 and beyond.”
“CINZ will be encouraging the regional tourism organisations to ensure business events have a fair share of the fund and offer support to the New Zealand Convention Bureaux as they work through the process,” Hopkins added.
