The Government has made a significant funding commitment in response to the New Zealand Tourism Strategy, the Minister of Tourism Mark Burton announced today.

"The Strategy has again highlighted tourism’s tremendous potential to increase its already substantial contribution to New Zealand's economic wellbeing - if we take a responsible and progressive attitude to its development.

"Tourism's ability to be a key economic driver is fully recognised by this Government. That is why last year the Office of Tourism and Sport became a stand-alone unit within the Ministry of Economic Development.

"I want to commend my colleague, the Minister for Economic Development Jim Anderton, for making funding available through Vote: Industry and Regional Development.

"These funds are available for implementing initiatives that will arise from the recommendations of the Tourism Strategy. The actual projects will be confirmed by the Strategy Implementation Plan that is being developed.

"Up to $4.0 million will be made available in 2001/02 for Strategy initiatives, with a further $2.5 million a year in out years.

"This is an important new source of funding for tourism and reflects the integral relationship between tourism and the Government’s regional and economic development objectives.

"Taken together with today's other budget announcements on Maori Tourism and Tourism Research, it demonstrates the government's commitment to work as a partner with the tourism sector to maximise the benefits for all New Zealanders," Mark Burton said.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>