Eligible tourism businesses have just 14 days to apply for financial assistance from the Government’s Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme (STAPP)- part of the $400 million allocated in the 2020 Budget for the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan.
Today the Government announced the funding eligibility criteria and the allocation of its first grants. World renowned tourism attraction, Discover Waitomo will receive up to $4 million and New Zealand’s 31 Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) will receive up to $20.2 million.
Announcing the criteria and initial allocations the Minister of Tourism, Kelvin Davis said Discover Waitomo generated significant economic, cultural and employment benefits for the region.
“Without this support, it may not have been possible to preserve this key asset. This investment will help safeguard and enable it to retain a highly skilled workforce with specific skills and experience.”
Up to $20.2 million has also been made available to the 31 RTOs to enable them to implement projects that support their regions.
TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts, responding to the announcement said. “In order for the tourism industry to rebuild and recover we need businesses to survive this crisis. Today’s announcements provide no direct support for the thousands of small and medium enterprises that are the majority of tourism businesses, however, saving iconic businesses like Discover Waitomo provides significant employment and economic spin-offs for the local region.”
Support for the country’s RTOs is also necessary, he said.
“These are the organisations that work hard to attract visitors to their regions, thereby supporting all local tourism operators as well as local hospitality businesses and support services. With the pressure on council budgets around the country many RTOs are struggling financially at a time when their role is more important than ever.”
Applications for STAPP funding close on June 18 and in order to be eligible applicants must be considered strategically important and meet the following criteria :-
- Nationally and/or internationally recognised
- Be a key attraction for New Zealand or a region of New Zealand.
- Responsible for significant visitation to the region where it is located and in its absence, visitation to the region would be significantly diminished, and
- Generate significant spill over benefits to the region where it is located.
More information is available on the Tourism Recovery page of the MBIE website.
