Waikato business Discover Waitomo is the first to benefit from a government plan to protect so-called strategic tourism assets, with a $4 million grant to help it cushion the blow from Covid-19.
The money is from the $400 million fund earmarked for a tourism sector recovery plan.
It includes a scheme that identifies high profile tourism operations that are key attractions for New Zealand, that bring significant visitors to their region, along with widespread economic benefits.
The $4 million was granted to Discover Waitomo, which is owned by Tourism Holdings, despite applications for the fund only opening on Thursday.
However, all applications will be closely assessed before money is handed out, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis told Checkpoint.
Davis said the company needed the money urgently in order to save it, and all other urgent and ad-hoc applications will be assessed fairly.
"They are a strategic tourism asset, they fit the criteria. Without them there, the region would well struggle," he said.
"It's important we do have a network of strategic tourism assets because when international borders do reopen we need to have these attractions open and available for visitors to enjoy, or else visitors will be coming here with nothing to do."
Forty jobs at Discover Waitomo will be saved, but Davis said "spill-over benefits" will also mean jobs get saved in the region.
Davis himself did not see the application, but it was recommended to him before Thursday's announcement. Discover Waitomo had approached MBIE for help before the application period opened.
"There was capacity for us as the tourism recovery ministers to hear urgent and ad hoc applications, and this fit the criteria."
The money will be distributed across the year's financial quarters, and requires a quarterly declaration that the money is still needed, he said.
If businesses thrive, then unneeded money can be returned to the fund.
Davis denies conflict of interest
Discover Waitomo is owned by Tourism Holdings, whose chief executive Grant Webster is the co-chair of the government's Tourism Futures task force.
But Davis said he does not see a conflict of interest, and Webster's appointment to the task force came after the application for funding.
"The Tourism Futures task force is about reimagining the future of tourism. And he has the leadership, the skills and experience to work alongside his co-chair Steve Chadwick to make the right decisions about the future of tourism. So it had nothing to do with today's announcement.
"[Webster's] business is one thing. That decision was made separately before we made the decision to appoint him as the co-chair."
Davis said there were at least two other applications for strategic tourism asset protection funding before Thursday.
"We would have liked to have made more two more announcements today but unfortunately, due to bereavements with one member of a company we couldn't do that today. So there are other companies that we were hoping to make announcements but they'll be made in the coming days."
