We recognise that the inclusion of Hospitality in the Tourism and Hospitality portfolio marks a significant change in the way our industry is recognised by the Government. Hospitality contributes over $15 billion to the national economy, with over 19,500 businesses employing over 145,000 people across the country.
Our priorities for the Tourism and Hospitality portfolio are focused on addressing the long-term challenges our industry faces, by working closely with the Government to ensure that policy priorities and development meet the real needs of our sector.
Priority 1: Establishing a Hospitality Business Unit within MBIE
While Tourism and Hospitality operations no doubt impact each other, a one-size-fits-all approach to our industries has not adequately addressed the needs of Hospitality in recent years.
The addition of Hospitality to the Tourism portfolio has been a significant first step towards recognising the importance of our industry. We believe that a Hospitality Business Unit within MBIE is necessary to ensure the Government plays an active role in the sector’s recovery, public sector coordination and provides much-needed leadership across hospitality policy development.
Priority 2: Developing our national and regional food stories
Culinary tourism is a vital part of the broader tourism experience, and has grown to rank alongside climate and scenery in importance to tourists.
We have a diverse culinary heritage in Aotearoa, from our coffee culture and world-renowned wineries to our farm-to-table produce and a sustainability focus to match – every region has a different story to tell.
The Restaurant Association believes that Hospitality needs to become an integral part of our domestic and international tourism story and marketing. Every rohe in Aotearoa has its own food identity. Targeted investment into telling these community stories will broaden the tourist experience and support the unique nature of manaakitanga in Aotearoa.
Priority 3: Re-framing the narrative around Hospitality
In 2023, the Restaurant Association launched our hospitality accreditation scheme HospoCred which establishes best-practices for businesses in our sector.
HospoCred is a voluntary scheme and requires businesses to meet or surpass the minimum standards set in five areas of business: employment, workforce development; certifications, policies and business; financial management; and training and professional development.
There are currently a number of businesses accredited with HospoCred, creating a solid base of hospitality businesses dedicated to raising the standards in our industry. The Restaurant Association submits that the sector itself is best placed to lead work to lift employment standards, and our goal for HospoCred is to become a programme that self-regulates the hospitality industry.
Government investment in HospoCred to expand the scheme and accelerate the lifting of standards across the hospitality industry is needed. Investment may include financial contributions to the growth of the programme, but should focus on incentivising participation to encourage business accreditation. This can include:
- Fast-tracking of governmental applications and licences for accredited businesses
- Discounted fees for accredited businesses
- Incorporation of HospoCred in monitoring and verification programmes
Priority 4: Encouraging hospitality as a life-long career path
We advocate for educational initiatives that encourage individuals to view the hospitality industry as an enduring and fulfilling career choice.
Educational initiatives aimed at reshaping perceptions and inspiring individuals to recognise the hospitality industry as a sustainable and rewarding career choice are needed. Recognising education’s pivotal role in upskilling and future-proofing our industries, we emphasise the need to address perception issues hindering its appeal as a viable career path. It’s imperative to review and identify gaps within the current education framework. Additionally, we propose funding local hospitality employment campaigns as a pragmatic pathway for Kiwis to both learn and earn within the industry.
Get involved
If you’d like to get involved in our advocacy work, one of the best things you can do is to reach out to your local Member of Parliament or councilor to help bolster our efforts.
We’ve created a template here that you can use to get in touch with your local politicians, which includes space for you to personalise and include your own story. Tailor it as you’d like, then address and email it to your local MP.
You can find out who your local MP is here, or get in touch with our team at info@restaurantnz.co.nz if you’d like some help!