A Minister of Hospitality is just one of seven asks the hospitality industry has of whatever Government is elected on October 14.

Hospitality New Zealand today launched its election manifesto and is asking political parties to commit to them.

The others are:

· more support for industry training

· changes to immigration policies

· enduring funding for tourism

· a handbrake on regulation

· changes to alcohol policy

· levelling the playing field with short-term rental accommodation.

Hospitality NZ Chief Executive Julie White says the industry’s demands are simple, straightforward and easily doable.

“We’re not asking for the impossible – just basic things that will be felt way beyond the industry itself.

“Hospitality plays a very significant role in New Zealand’s economy, employing many thousands of people and their families, and helping to attract and take care of hundreds of thousands of tourists, so healthy hospitality means a healthier economy.

“If the next Government, whatever its makeup, is serious about returning the economy to where it was before Covid, it must pick up these seven asks, and we’re asking all political parties to tell the public now to commit to them.

“Hospitality NZ announces a manifesto of our priorities every election cycle so ministers, MPs, and candidates can see exactly what the industry needs.

“But this year is more significant because the industry is continuing to struggle to recover from the impact of Covid and economic pressures, and as we head into a recessionary period.

“In the policy context, the industry is impacted by a range of portfolios, and we will continue to work tirelessly to engage with Government on the issues.

“We believe there is a real opportunity to continue the recovery and growth of our industry going forward.

“The industry is positive about the future, and an incoming government removing roadblocks and supporting us in these areas will help set us up for success.”

The seven-point manifesto is:

Establish a Minister of Hospitality: Given the broad spectrum of portfolios hospitality interacts with, we are calling on Government to establish a Minister of Hospitality and a dedicated hospitality unit within MBIE to provide leadership, coherent policy direction, support, and development for the industry. This is something we have been advocating for since the start of the Covid pandemic, as it became apparent that hospitality is not appropriately understood, catered for, or valued within Government policy and decision making.

Support the hospitality workforce: The hospitality workforce narrative has been overwhelmingly negative from Government, in addition to a lack of funding for training. We are asking the next Government to encourage hospitality career pathways and invest in training to get more Kiwis into hospitality.

Holistic approach immigration: Hospitality NZ’s frustrations with the immigration system have been well documented. We call on the Government to craft a holistic immigration approach, taking into account how immigration impacts other areas of both policy and the economy, and ensure the immigration system is fit-for-purpose for all parts of the economy. In the immediate term, median wage benchmarks for working visas should be removed and partnership work rights should be reinstated.

Enduring funding for tourism: Enduring funding is needed to ensure New Zealand’s tourism offering can continue to be delivered at a high level. We call on the Government to create an enduring fund for tourism, and to build a more competitive international business events package, including GST-free conference ticketing for international delegates.

A handbrake on regulation: The regulatory and economic environment has significantly ramped up cost pressures on hospitality businesses. Hospitality NZ calls on the Government to put a handbrake on its eagerness for regulation, understand the cost pressures our sector is under, and work with the industry to improve regulations and ease compliance.

Changes to alcohol policy: There are a range of challenges in the alcohol policy space, which is primarily governed by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. Hospitality NZ calls on the Government to abandon the Local Alcohol Policy process and default to national settings, as laid out in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. We believe the Duty Manager role and requirements should be eliminated, instead making Responsible Service of Alcohol training compulsory for all front-of-house staff.

Levelling the playing field with short-term rental accommodation: The significant growth in short-term rental accommodation (STRA) through providers such as Airbnb or Bookabach has raised concerns for the accommodation sector, particularly because many peer-to-peer providers are not required to meet the same regulatory requirements as traditional accommodation providers, presenting an uneven playing field and inequitable funding structure at a local government level. Hospitality NZ calls on the Government to implement a national register for STRA properties and assist with levelling the field for all commercial providers.

The manifesto can be found on the Hospitality New Zealand website: https://www.hospitality.org.nz/s/advocacy

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