Wayne Brown rallies more than 100 leaders to unite in $220m demand to Government

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has rallied more than 100 leaders in a fresh push to get the Government to cough up millions for tourism. 

The demand has been splashed across a full-page advertisement in today’s Weekend Herald. 

It calls for the Government to give councils $220 million a year to help cover tourism costs. 

Under the headline “Billions from tourism goes to Government. Yet the cost of tourism stays local”, the advertisement argues councils are being left to foot the bill for visitors while central government collects billions in tourism-related revenue. 

It claims central government pockets around $10.5 billion in tourism-related revenue each year, including $4.4b in GST on tourism expenditure in the year to March 2025. 

However, local government receives no direct income from visitor spending in its regions. 

“Yet most of the infrastructure, services and management effort needed to host visitors in the regions is funded by local councils and ratepayers,” the advertisement reads. 

Brown is calling for about $220m a year to be returned to councils through a proposed Local Tourism Funding Gap. 

The advertisement says the amount is equivalent to 5% of GST collected on tourism spending and would help close the funding gap. 

It proposes the funding be adjusted as the visitor economy grows. 

The advertisement also promotes the New Zealand Tourism Funding Charter, which calls for a long-term national approach to funding the infrastructure, services, event attraction and destination marketing needed to support tourism across the country. 

“It’s about creating a fairer system that allows regions to deal with demand where it is created. One that recognises the value tourism brings and ensures regions and communities are better supported to meet the costs of hosting visitors.” 

The advertisement encourages businesses, organisations and families reliant on visitors to support the charter. 

It is signed by Brown and supported by more than 100 mayors, including Wellington’s Andrew Little, Christchurch’s Phil Mauger and Hamilton’s Tim Macindoe. 

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and Wellington Mayor Andrew Little have joined forces in a nationwide push for more tourism funding from the Government. Photo / NZME 

The advertisement also features the names of Queenstown Lakes Mayor John Glover and Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell, alongside council chief executives and tourism industry leaders from across the country. 

The advertisement follows years of calls for the Government to return more tourism revenue to the regions. 

Brown has previously pushed for a bed-night visitor levy in Auckland, which would charge visitors staying in hotels and other short-term accommodation to help fund major events and destination marketing. 

Brown has previously pushed for a bed-night visitor levy in Auckland, which would charge visitors staying in hotels and other short-term accommodation to help fund major events and destination marketing. 

The proposed levy of between 2.5% and 3% was expected to raise about $27 million annually, but would require a law change. 

Rachel Maher is the education correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. She also covers other topics such as Auckland issues, crime and local government. She started at the Herald as a breaking news journalist in 2022, before joining the Auckland team this year.