Regulation in the tourism system

System description and objectives

The tourism and hospitality sector is a major contributor to the New Zealand economy. Tourism is New Zealand’s largest export industry in terms of foreign exchange earnings, and tourism employs around one in ten New Zealanders. The sector is present in all regions in New Zealand, distributing economic opportunities and bringing social benefits across our regions, cities and communities including:

• Helping to build deeper international connections, which enable other exporters to tailor and market their products and services to those markets.
• Building awareness of New Zealand as a supplier of quality products in the international marketplace.
• Social understanding and integration across local communities.
• The benefits that accrue from the additional scale that visitor flows create, for example, infrastructure development and the availability of a wider range of goods and services in particular locations.

Various organisations are involved in tourism in New Zealand, including Government departments, regional and Māori tourism organisations, marketing networks formed by private operators, and industry associations that represent operators from across the different sectors of the tourism industry.

The Government’s role in the tourism system is primarily as a steward, which it does through setting strategy and providing funding to promote New Zealand as a tourism destination and to build facilities and infrastructure to support visitor experiences.

Regulation specific to tourism plays a relatively minor role in the system and there is minimal regulation specific to tourism businesses. There are specific regulatory settings for adventure activities, and in hospitality for the sale of alcohol, food safety and gaming. Regulatory systems related to employment relations and standards, health and safety at work and immigration also impact on tourism and hospitality businesses. 

Ministerial portfolios and key statutes

Tourism and Hospitality

• Immigration Act 2009 – sections 399A and 399B: International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy
• New Zealand Tourism Board Act 1991
• Tourist and Health Resorts Control Act 1908
• Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023

Tourism and hospitality(external link) —  Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)

System agencies and their roles

MBIE

• Stewards the tourism system.
• Collaborates with other departments on key tourism and hospitality policy issues, research and statistics.
• Advises the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality on strategy and policy for the tourism and hospitality sector.
• Manages government investments in tourism and hospitality, including investments from the International Visitor Tourism and Conservation Levy.
• Monitors Crown entities that support the tourism sector.
• Stewards other regulatory systems that interact with tourism and hospitality businesses and workers, including immigration, employment relations and standards and health and safety at work. 

Department of Conservation and Ministry of Culture and Heritage

• Facilitates necessary inputs to visitor experience, helps protect New Zealand’s natural and cultural heritage and assist regions and communities to plan for and manage impacts of visitors.

Ministry of Transport and New Zealand Transport Authority

• Facilitates necessary inputs to visitor experience and assist regions and communities to plan for and manage impacts of visitors on the transport network.

Local authorities

• Attracts visitors to regions and provide local facilities and infrastructure. Enforces any related local by-laws or delegated regulatory functions, e.g. for responsible camping or registering a food business.

Department of Internal Affairs

• Monitors local government-related tourism issues and developments.

Ministry of Justice

• Administers legislation related to the sale and supply of alcohol.  

Immigration New Zealand (a group within MBIE)

• Collects the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy from visitors to New Zealand.

Other important actors

Tourism New Zealand

• Aims to ensure that New Zealand is marketed as a visitor destination to maximise long-term benefits to New Zealand.

Regional tourism organisations

• Promotes tourism development in regions. 

The New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (Te Puia)

• Seeks to encourage, foster and promote all types of Māori culture and the practice and appreciation of Māori arts and crafts.

New Zealand Māori Tourism

• Works with the Māori tourism sector and ensures the growth and quality of Māori tourism experiences. 

Collaboration and information-sharing between system agencies

Senior officials of key central government agencies make up the Tourism Senior Officials’ Group. This group provides a mechanism for cross‐agency coordination and strategic oversight of government agencies’ tourism‐related activities. It takes a proactive approach to identifying and addressing short‐term pressures, ensuring the tourism system can respond to growth in the medium‐term and setting a long-term vision for the tourism system.

Numerous informal mechanisms also exist to exchange information and collaborate on policy between agencies with an interest in tourism and hospitality.

Regulated parties and main stakeholders

Regulated parties

The primary purpose of the tourism-related legislation administered by MBIE is not to regulate parties – it is enabling legislation which establishes Tourism New Zealand as a key organisation in the tourism sector.

Under the Immigration Act’s provisions for the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, regulated parties will include most people entering New Zealand on a temporary basis. There are several exceptions.

Further information about the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy

Main stakeholders

The main stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality system include:

• industry associations
• local government bodies
• Māori and regional tourism organisations
• international tourism bodies
• tourism and hospitality businesses.

Process for engaging with stakeholders

MBIE follows best practice for strategy and policy development and publishes consultation documents and holds public meetings to seek feedback on proposals. We also engage extensively with tourism and hospitality stakeholders, through both regular forums and ad hoc meetings.