Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas has welcomed the announcement from Tourism Minister Stuart Nash outlining $3.75m in government funding to support events that will encourage visitors to Taupō, Rotorua, Ruapehu and Waikato.
The funding is part of the $50m Regional Events Fund which aims to stimulate domestic tourism and travel, and will support the development of events along the ‘Thermal Explorer Highway’.
Mayor David Trewavas said the funding was the first to be announced from the Regional Events Fund and showed the importance of collaboration across communities.
“Our local Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) and councils have worked together to put forward an investment plan that will be an important piece of our tourism recovery puzzle,” he said.
“The plan outlines the importance of events to our district, with Tourism NZ research showing that nearly 30 percent of domestic travel in New Zealand is driven by events, entertainment and exhibitions.
“We like to call ourselves the events capital, and with this funding now confirmed, we will be able to see more support for the development, planning and promotion of events. As a result, we’ll see more visitors to our districts, creating local jobs, supporting businesses and stimulating the economy.”
The $3.75m investment will be used to create a contestable fund, with support for events over a three year period. Along with this, the funding will also be used to update existing regional event strategies and build capability within the events sector.
Further information on the contestable fund, event criteria and the application process will be made available early in the New Year. To ensure event organisers receive notification when the Thermal Explorer Regional Event Fund opens, email thermexref@waikatonz.com
