Major events and tourism package

NationalIn progress

● Economy7 tracked updates

✦ AI Overview

Pitched as a way to win back the big international events and tourists New Zealand was losing to Australia, and to spread the economic spin-off to the regions.

The Policy: National Tourism Boost Policy — 2023 Election →

What it does:

Builds on National's 2023 tourism platform — which promised contestable funding for regional events, flexible working holiday visas and a new Great Walk — with a $70m Major Events and Tourism package announced in September 2025.
The money splits into four parts: $40m to attract large-scale international events from 2026, a $10m Events Boost Fund for new and existing events, a $10m Regional Tourism Boost campaign to pull visitors beyond the main centres, and up to $10m for tourism infrastructure like cycle trails (MBIE).
It is paid for out of the International Visitor Levy, which the Government tripled from $35 to $100 on 1 October 2024 — so the cost falls largely on overseas visitors, not the general Budget.
The pitch leans on the claim that big events pay their way: the Government says 14 Auckland concerts over three years (including Coldplay and Pearl Jam) drew 490,000 people and added $33.7m to the local economy, in a sector worth about $17bn of GDP and nearly 200,000 jobs.

The result:

The package is up and running and has helped underwrite a 2026 line-up including Linkin Park, Robbie Williams, a State of Origin league match and a Tottenham Hotspur v Auckland FC football fixture. But it is, on the Government's own framing, a U-turn: only two months earlier Tourism Minister Louise Upston had excluded concerts from a smaller $5m boost while questioning whether they generate real economic value, and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon conceded the country "has not been doing enough". Critics note the funding landed too late to capture acts already routed around New Zealand, and that international arrivals — while recovering to roughly 90% of pre-pandemic levels — are being chased with the visitors' own levy money.

The impacts to watch:

Whether public money should back commercial events with wealthy backers: ACT's tourism spokesperson Todd Stephenson called the fund a slush fund and "blank cheques behind closed doors", singling out a subsidy for a match between billionaire-owned football clubs.
Whether the headline economic returns hold up: Stephenson and some economists have questioned the claimed $3.20 return for every dollar spent, arguing the same money could go to health, policing or education.
Whether the regional share actually reaches smaller centres, or whether the marquee concerts and stadium events concentrate the benefit in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

This overview is summarised by AI from public sources. It may contain errors and is a guide, not the definitive record — we welcome corrections.

❓ Our Questions — you decide

Where our research raises a question the policy doesn't answer, we put it to you — these are our questions, not government policy. Your vote stays anonymous even when you sign up (we use sign-up only to send you more things to vote on that you care about), and we report aggregated results only — the country's sentiment, never how any individual voted.

Since this package is paid for by a levy on overseas visitors rather than from the general Budget, is that a fair way to fund events that mostly benefit New Zealanders?

Should public money be used to help fund commercial events that already have wealthy backers, like billionaire-owned football clubs?

Should taxpayer or visitor-levy money be used to subsidise commercial events run by wealthy promoters and clubs?

Should the Government have to publish an independent cost-benefit analysis before funding each major event?

Should a fixed share of the events and tourism package be ring-fenced for regional centres rather than the main cities?

Key milestones

Sep 2023official

National campaigns on boosting tourism and events

In its 2023 election platform, National pledged to lift tourism out of its post-pandemic slump, including contestable funding to promote regional events outside the main tourist centres, more flexible working holiday visas and faster visa processing, longer Department of Conservation concessions for operators, and a new Great Walk at Waiau-Toa/Molesworth. The events and tourism package later delivered in government grew out of this platform.

National Party - Boosting Tourism policy ↗

Oct 2024news

Visitor levy tripled to fund tourism spending

The Government increased the International Visitor Levy from $35 to $100 per eligible visitor from 1 October 2024, with Australians and many Pacific nationals exempt. Ministers said the higher levy would ensure overseas visitors contribute more to conservation and tourism costs. The larger levy take is the funding source later drawn on for the major events package, rather than new money from the general Budget.

1News - International visitor levy increasing to $100 ↗

Sep 2025news

$70m major events and tourism package unveiled

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced a $70m package as part of the Coalition's Q3 Action Plan: $40m to attract large-scale international events from 2026, a $10m Events Boost Fund, a $10m Regional Tourism Boost campaign, and up to $10m for tourism infrastructure. Upston said it would help New Zealand compete with Australian states for major acts, citing 14 Auckland concerts that drew 490,000 people and added $33.7m to the local economy.

1News - Govt unveils $70m fund to lure global acts ↗

Sep 2025news

Sector welcomes a U-turn on funding concerts

Industry figures welcomed the package, with the NZ Events Association calling the inclusion of concerts a game-changer and Eden Park's chief executive saying promoters would welcome it. Commentators noted it was a reversal: two months earlier Upston had excluded concerts from a smaller $5m boost while questioning whether they generate economic value, and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon acknowledged the country had not been doing enough. Some observers said the money came too late to win back acts already booked elsewhere for 2025-26.

The Spinoff - Louise Upston completes an events U-turn ↗

Mar 2026news

ACT MP attacks fund as a slush fund

ACT's tourism spokesperson Todd Stephenson publicly criticised the package, calling it a slush fund and accusing the Government of writing blank cheques behind closed doors and picking winners. He singled out support for a friendly football match between billionaire-owned clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Auckland FC, asking why taxpayers should subsidise it. Upston said New Zealanders were enthusiastic about the fixture and that she would raise the concerns with him directly.

RNZ - Tourism minister unhappy with MP's shot at spending on football ↗

Apr 2026news

Minister defends the economics of the package

Upston defended the $40m events attraction component after the slush fund claim, rejecting any suggestion of a personal fund and saying an independent advisory panel identified events through a rigorous assessment. Stephenson and some economists questioned the Government's claimed $3.20 return for every dollar spent, arguing the money could instead go to health, policing or medicines. Upston maintained the goal was to grow visitor numbers and economic activity in all parts of the country.

NZ Herald - Upston defends $40m events package after Act slush fund claim ↗

2026

Public reaction across platforms

Reaction is split: many fans and tourism and hospitality businesses are excited at the prospect of big concerts, sport and festivals returning, while others question why visitor-levy money is being spent on commercial events with wealthy backers rather than on public services.

See the conversation:

Aggregated - individual posts are not cited.

Sources

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