31 October 2011

Domestic tourism an election issue says Motel Association of NZ

Fresh ideas from politicians to encourage Kiwis to take a holiday within New Zealand tops the list of questions Motel Association of New Zealand (MANZ) members will be asking their local candidates ahead of the general election.

What the next Government will do to stimulate domestic tourism is an important economic issue, and not just for motels, MANZ Chief Executive Michael Baines says.

“If more Kiwis take a holiday at home everybody wins,” Mr Baines says. “There are a number of economic benefits from having those dollars spent here and not overseas. These include more jobs, greater demand for local goods and services and increased investment in infrastructure by local and central government.”

“The continuing economic worries in the United States and Europe, which could yet trigger another worldwide recession, are another reason we should be encouraging more domestic tourism,” Mr Baines says.

Motels are coming off a lean period through the Rugby World Cup in September and October, which saw many travelers choose to stay at home due to reports of a flood of overseas visitors and price-hikes by accommodation providers. New Zealanders account for about 70 percent of all guest nights in motels, making the sector an ideal barometer of domestic tourism.

Other issues MANZ members will be tackling their would-be MPs about include the effect of increasing costs on the profitability of small and medium-sized businesses such as Motels; how to reduce the amount of extra red tape faced by motels compared to other commercial accommodation providers; does New Zealand need a capital gains tax and should all the business–related ministries be merged into one “super-sized” Ministry of Economic Development.

ENDS

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