The AA supports a proposal to create a national fund dedicated to tackling the infrastructure challenges impacting tourism in our regions.

AA General Manager Travel and Tourism Grant Lilly says most New Zealanders know that the best way to explore the country is to get out on the road and off the beaten track, but sometimes that can be difficult.

“The challenge is that some of our infrastructure, from access roads through to car parks and toilets, are not as well developed and traveller friendly as they need to be to cope with the current strong growth of tourism,” says Mr Lilly.

“Investing in the development of regional infrastructure to get tourist facilities to a standard that is visitor ready and friendly is a great way to spread the benefits of both domestic and international tourism more widely through our economy and our regions,” he says.

While the current model sees regions investing in themselves to keep tourist facilities visitor friendly, Mr Lilly says a more national approach to infrastructure investment with support from both the private and public sectors means that regions with low ratepayer bases and can compete to national standards.

“The AA has always encouraged New Zealanders to explore their own backyard, so we’re pleased to see companies proactively proposing national investment into regional infrastructure. It’s a step in the right direction to improve accessibility and the overall experience visitors have of our regions.”

The proposal comes as part of a report released to the Minister of Tourism by the Chief Executives of Air New Zealand, Auckland Airport, Christchurch Airport and Tourism Holdings Limited.