Hospitality New Zealand welcomes National Party tourism policy announcements made today by leader Christopher Luxon.

Chief Executive Steve Armitage says these announcements are a positive signal for hospitality and tourism.

“New and enhanced experiences such a new Great Walk in Canterbury and more e-bike charging stations along the NZ Cycle Trails network will encourage more tourists to those regional economies, as will the proposed contestable fund for Regional Tourism Organisations to promote regional events.

“We are especially pleased to see the announcement lifting the upper age of Working Holiday Visa applicants from 30 to 35, and the ability to reapply for that visa if applicants work in areas of staff shortages such as tourism and hospitality.

“Scrapping median wage requirements will also make accessing migrant staff more accessible for our industry and aid us in filling our skills gaps in the short to medium term while we continue to train and attract Kiwis in hospitality.

“This announcement marks the first of the tourism and hospitality-related announcements made on the election campaign trail, and we look forward to seeing the plans from other parties for how to take our industry forward.”

You can read Hospitality NZ’s election manifesto here.

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