NEW ZEALAND’s business events industry has welcomed the government’s drive to support domestic tourism through events with NZ$50 million going to nine major regional groups across the country via the Regional Events Fund.
Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) chief executive, Lisa Hopkins, says the industry is pleased to see more support going into the events sector.
“It is good to see the sector has been recognised as an important driver of the domestic visitor industry, and business events have been acknowledged as a high-value contributor to regional visitation,” Hopkins said.
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“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.”
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.
“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 said.
Main picture: Delegates take a meeting break in Auckland. Credit: ATEED
