They were the words Mackenzie Tourism manager Lydia Stoddart used in Queenstown yesterday to describe the amount of money from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) going towards tourism communities.
Addressing Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston at the Otago Tourism Policy School, organised by the University of Otago, Ms Stoddart pointed out the IVL was meant to assist communities, such as hers, ‘‘that are doing it really tough’’.
Introduced in 2019, funds from the IVL are split 50-50 between conservation and tourism — in 2025-26, $55 million was allocated to the Department of Conservation with $35m allocated to tourism.
Of that, about $19.5m was tagged for Tourism New Zealand.
However- Ms Stoddart told the Otago Daily Times the forecast IVL revenue for next year totalled $229m and, of tourism's $114.5m share, Tourism New Zealand would receive $79m.
She pointed out New Zealand’s tourism industry generated $4.4 billion in GST alone — $1.7b of that generated by international tourism.
‘‘Will we see that money that is currently used out of the IVL to fund Tourism New Zealand come back and help us with the supply side, because I worry that your 60-40 [split between demand and supply, respectively] ... is of that $35m, and not of the $114.5m that we should [have] in the next year.’’
Ms Upston acknowledged ‘‘everybody in this room’’ would like for there to be more money available from the IVL for tourism infrastructure.
‘‘But I’d also say, everybody in this room probably doesn’t want inflation at 7.3%, which is why, as a government, we’ve had to take control of our spending.
‘‘You kind of can’t have it both ways.’’
She said 60% of funding from the IVL next year would go to supply, and indicated in 2028 that would increase to 80%.
‘‘Then it is looking at where those investments have the most impact.
‘‘I fully understand the challenge ... I get it.
‘‘While I’m not going to go into detail, clearly, I don’t want anyone in this room to be under any illusion I haven’t heard you.
‘‘I am working on a longer term plan around how we make this work.’’
Part of that was the new standalone ‘‘tourism policy statement’’, which Ms Upston announced yesterday.
Expected to be released in the next three months, she said it followed on from the Tourism Growth Roadmap and Tourism System Review, providing a ‘‘clear, enduring framework for how tourism is governed, co-ordinated and invested in over the long term’’.
It would set out a clear national direction for tourism and articulate the industry’s role as a ‘‘strategic national asset’’, providing a narrative about what industry success looked like.
While that included volume, it also factored in value, resilience and community benefit.
The policy statement would also provide clarity on roles, co-ordination and investment and respond directly to insight gained during the system review regarding ‘‘fragmentation, duplication and short-term funding’’.
It would also give confidence to regions and industry, she said.
‘‘By setting out priorities and expectations, the policy statement will provide a stronger basis for local government, regional entities and the private sector to plan, invest and collaborate with greater certainty.
‘‘This is about moving from a system evolving over time, quite ad hoc, to one that is designed deliberately.’’
While tourism had always been one of New Zealand’s strengths, Ms Upston said its future success ‘‘will not be accidental’’.
‘‘It will depend on clear choices about how we grow, where we invest and how we organise ourselves as a system.
‘‘It will recognise tourism not just as a set of markets, but as something that shapes places, communities and livelihoods across the country.
‘‘The work now under way is about ensuring that growth is intentional, co-ordinated and really, really importantly, sustainable.’’
The Otago Tourism Policy School, established in 2019, concludes today.
