Hon Louise Upston
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality

Tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you for the warm welcome. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to MEETINGS 2025.

First, I would like to acknowledge Mayor Wayne Brown attending MEETINGS 2025 today and a special acknowledgment to Ngāti Whatua Orakei for their pōwhiri and welcome.

I would also like to recognise Tataki Auckland Unlimited and in particular the Auckland Convention Bureau for their dedication and hard work advocating for Auckland as a world-class visitor destination.

Last but not the least, I'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to some incredible individuals who make events like this possible, a huge thank you again to BEIA Chief Executive Lisa Hopkins and Board Chair Martin Snedden.

Your leadership across the business events in New Zealand and creating such vibrant and energetic gatherings like MEETINGS 2025 are truly appreciated and make a difference to New Zealand.

To our local and international buyers, exhibitors and media – thank you for making the journey from around the world to join us in Auckland.

Events like MEETINGS are so important for bringing incredible opportunities to our regions, building valuable connections with our offshore markets and strengthening our business events sector.

There is no doubt that New Zealand’s business events industry is on the rise – and that’s thanks to the fantastic organisations and individuals like you in this room today.

You are the driving force behind a growing pipeline of high-value deals across sectors. These opportunities are helping boost productivity, support local communities, and grow our regions.

Together, we are putting New Zealand as a top place to do business – and the conversations and connections you make over the next few days will help us even further.

Events like this are a powerful reminder of what it takes to deliver world-class experiences – whether its state-of-the-art venues, exceptional food and catering, smooth logistics, or engaging content.

Beyond their direct economic benefits, business events connect us, foster new ideas and drive innovation across industries. I want to acknowledge the vital role you all play – not just as the professionals of tourism and hospitality, but as ambassadors of New Zealand.

Your commitment lay the foundation for successful events and help position our country as a world leader in the excellence we are known for.

Increasing tourism and creating a strong economy is a key focus for the next few years, and the economic contribution of the business events sector is a critical element to success.

Business events punch well above their weight in attracting high-value international conferences to our regions and main centres throughout the year, and MEETINGS is a prime example of this.

I hope you enjoy your Auckland experience and participate in the amazing visitor experience while you are here.

As Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, I have two priorities for the portfolio.

My first priority is to grow international tourism by both increasing the number of international visitors to New Zealand in the short term, and doubling the value of tourism exports by 2034.

My second priority is to grow the number of Kiwis in tourism and hospitality jobs which will further support our wider economic growth objectives.

Our business events sector plays a huge role in showcasing New Zealand as a progressive, entrepreneurial destination and will play a significant role in achieving our goal of doubling tourism exports.

Business event participants spend an average of $175 more per day than other visitors, and importantly, often visit in the off-peak period between March and November, boosting tourism and economic activity year-round. This is exactly why we are making positive changes to support its growth.

In April, alongside the Minister of Health and the Minister for Regulation, I was thrilled to announce a change to the Medicines Act. The change will allow for medicines to be advertised that have not yet been consented by Medsafe at medical conferences in New Zealand.

This shift removes a long-standing barrier and opens the door to hosting more international medical conferences and trade shows, unlocking an estimated $90 million in future revenue.

On top of that, we're continuously working to attract high-value incentive business to New Zealand. It's all part of our effort to make our country a go-to place for significant business events.

As part of my Tourism Boost package, I provided $3 million to Tourism New Zealand to make an additional 15-20 bids for business events in 2026 and beyond through its existing Conference Assistance Programme.

This investment has already supported Tourism New Zealand to win three bids valued at $7.5 million.

Our message is clear, New Zealand is open for business. We are looking forward to welcoming more business events and conferences to New Zealand and hosting them in our great facilities.

Tourism is our second largest export earner and a crucial component of our workforce, and we cannot understate the benefits it provides to our country.

We’re committed to continue growing the sector, which is why today, I am announcing the launch of the Tourism Growth Roadmap. The Roadmap follows my recent Tourism Boost package and is the second step towards doubling our tourism export value by 2034.

The final Roadmap has been carefully developed based on the conversations I have had with industry leaders since taking over the portfolio and reflects what I’ve heard is important to you.

The first package of investment will continue to prioritise increasing international visitor volumes, with around 80 per cent of the investment going towards demand initiatives and 20 per cent towards supply initiatives.

I am also announcing a $35 million investment from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy to deliver the first stage of the Roadmap.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister and I announced $13.5 million in new funding to Tourism New Zealand to uplift marketing activity in our core markets of Australia, the United States and China.

This investment is expected to generate around $300 million in spending and deliver an extra 72,000 international visitors to our shores.

These are big numbers, but this is only part of the full $35 million package we’re unveiling today.

I am also committing a further $6 million in new funding to uplift marketing activity in our emerging markets of India and Southeast Asia.

We know that Tourism New Zealand does an important job of marketing our country internationally, acting as the primary influence for approximately 14 per cent of international holiday visitors. I expect these investments to result in almost $360 million in incremental visitor spend in the economy.

As I have been saying today, I see the business events sector as an incredibly valuable visitor market for supporting tourism growth.

That is why I’m thrilled to announce I am committing an additional $3 million to Tourism New Zealand to boost business events attraction for a further year. This reinforces the important role that all of you play, and I am excited to see the positive outcomes from this investment.

I am also providing a $5 million boost for major events attraction. Major events drive economic benefits to New Zealand through international visitation and additional direct spend in the host region.

To complement these demand initiatives, I am investing in specific regional tourism infrastructure projects.

Last week, alongside Minister Potaka, I announced $4 million to improve visitor experiences along the Milford Road corridor. This investment is co-funded and will be delivered by the Department of Conservation.

As you all know, Milford Sound Piopiotahi is one of our most iconic destinations and a huge drawcard for international visitors. This investment will support improved visitor experiences, infrastructure and reduced congestion.

We have an enormous opportunity on our hands.

Tourism has the potential to become our biggest export earner – we’ve done it before, and I believe we can do it again. It will take significant effort from us all, and the industry is united with shared purpose, aspirations, and enthusiasm.

Achieving this will require action on the supply-side and I have asked my officials to begin a review of our tourism system to support this. This includes looking at issues surrounding our workforce:

• data
• infrastructure
• funding
• our regions and communities
• aviation and cruise connectivity
• and the overall visitor experience that we offer.

We’re looking at what is working well and what do we need to change to ensure we are fit for the future.

The key to our success will be working together.

There is plenty of work to do and I am excited to continue working alongside the tourism and hospitality sector to build on the incredible foundations already in place.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the next few days are packed with opportunities.

New Zealand is open for business, and we welcome the opportunity to attract more business, exhibition and incentive travellers to New Zealand and grow our economy. Together, let's maximise the value tourism brings to our beautiful country!

Thank you again.

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