Spherical 5 of Tourism Infrastructure Fund to open for purposes

The tourism minister is supposed to reopen a government fund to help the councils build it up Infrastructure for visitors with a special focus on regions most affected by the loss of foreign tourists.

“Round five of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund will be open for applications next month, “said Stuart Nash. Funding was most recently made available in November 2019.

“I have updated the criteria for projects to be prioritized by the fund. This will now better reflect the reality that jobs and businesses in some regions, particularly the South Island, are more affected by the loss of international tourists than in others.

“All councils can continue to apply if they lack sufficient sources of income to support visitors, such as when they have a small interest payer base. Community groups supported by the councils can also apply.”

“I have already noticed that five regions face greater uncertainty due to their reliance on overseas visitors. As a result, applications from Kaikōura, MacKenzie – Aoraki Mt Cook, Queenstown Lakes, Fiordland and South Westland counties are prioritized.

“Other regions are still welcome to apply. All applicants are asked to provide evidence of the need for support with the visitor infrastructure.

“The projects will create much-needed local jobs as tourist cities work to diversify their economies. The new ones Infrastructure will also ensure that the quality of the visitor experience is improved when larger numbers of tourists return.

“The Tourism Infrastructure Fund was founded in 2017. It has helped councils build and maintain vital assets such as public toilets and showers, parking lots and walkways, waste disposal and water treatment facilities, freedom campsites, picnic shelters, jetties and boat ramps, bike racks, and mountain bike hubs.

“The fifth round funding will ensure government investment in visitor projects continues while we work to open quarantine-free travel with Australia and other international routes when it is safe to do so, but the final size of the funding pool has yet to be determined is expected to be in the vicinity of $ 13 million, “said Nash.

(With contributions from the New Zealand government press release)