New Zealand's Government announced (14-May-2020) a NZD400 million (USD240 million) targeted Tourism Recovery Fund, alongside the extension of the Wage Subsidy Scheme and a domestic tourism campaign, to assist the industry to recover and restart. Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis stated the fund "enables us to deliver various support mechanisms to the industry under one umbrella", which will fund a domestic tourism campaign. Details of the response package include:
- Tourism Transitions Programme: Delivering advice and support to either pivot a business towards the domestic and Australian market, hibernating a firm, or other options. Tourism New Zealand will provide customer insights, while NZ Māori Tourism will also be supported through this fund to deliver the Transitions Programme directly to its stakeholders;
- Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme: Identify strategic tourism assets and provide communities with the protection and assistance;
- Tourism Recovery Ministers Group: Established to oversee the Tourism Recovery package;
- New Zealand Futures Tourism Taskforce: A public-private task force to prioritise present and future issues which will shape and impact tourism and lead recommendations on further policy and regulatory reform in the sector. [more - original PR]