Latest news with #BusinessEventsIndustryAotearoa
Scoop
09-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Bridging A Gap On West Coast Cycle Trail
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality A new cycle bridge on the West Coast Wilderness Cycle Trail will bring more visitors to the region and boost the local economy. 'I'm thrilled to be supporting the construction of the Totara River Rail Bridge, ensuring visitors can once again ride this popular trail from start to finish,' Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. 'The West Coast Wilderness Cycle Trail is one of our Great Rides and attracts both international and domestic visitors alike, showcasing the stunning scenery of the West Coast. 'Investment in this piece of infrastructure will benefit the local businesses and communities, particularly in the township of Ross located at the trail end.' The Totara River Rail Bridge, a few kilometres north of Ross, has been closed for structural assessment and repairs since August 2024, cutting off the final 15km section of trail between Ross and the Treetops Zipline and Walkway. 'While cyclists can still enjoy parts of the trail, they currently cannot reach Ross – meaning the township, along with the wider region, is missing out on valuable visitor spending,' Louise Upston says. 'This investment will help turn that around, bringing more visitors back.' This investment is part of the first stage of the Government's Tourism Growth Roadmap, which also includes additional international marketing funding and other activity to encourage more international visitors to New Zealand. 'The Roadmap sets out the Government's plan to double the value of tourism, currently our second largest export, by 2034,' Louise Upston says. 'We want to welcome more visitors to New Zealand, and we want to enable our regional communities to provide a high-quality visitor experience.' 'New Zealand's Great Rides are national treasures, and it is important we look after them for future generations,' Louise Upston says. Notes: The Government is investing up to $1.6 million to replace the Totara River Rail Bridge on the West Coast Wilderness Cycle Trail This investment comes from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. Other Tourism Growth Roadmap investments for the 2025/26 financial year include: $13.5 million in additional funding for Tourism New Zealand's marketing in core markets of Australia, the United States and China, $6 million in additional funding for Tourism New Zealand's marketing in the emerging markets of India and Southeast Asia, $3 million to increase the number of business events hosted in New Zealand, as part of Tourism New Zealand's collaboration with Business Events Industry Aotearoa, An additional $5 million towards the Major Events Fund, and
Scoop
29-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Common Sense Solution To Benefit New Zealand's Medical Workforce, International Events Sector And The Economy
Press Release – Medicines New Zealand Medicines New Zealand and other like-minded groups especially Business Events Industry Aotearoa, have long advocated for changes to be made to this rule, this has also been amplified by Business New Zealand. Today's announcement of an update to New Zealand regulations to allow the innovative biopharmaceutical industry the ability to provide financial support via tradeshows at international medical conferences held in the country is a very positive outcome with many benefits. This is not only from the perspective of medical education and scientific exchange for New Zealand's healthcare workforce and medical researchers, but also as regards the additional economic benefit from revenue generated from hosting international conferences, educational events and tradeshows here in New Zealand. 'In the past, concern about the potential to commit a breach of legislation, which prohibited the advertising of medicines that are unapproved, had a chilling effect on innovative biopharmaceutical companies' willingness to support and participate in international scientific and medical events hosted in New Zealand. We believe what is proposed by the Government is a common-sense solution to what has been a regulatory barrier that has created many issues within New Zealand for a range of stakeholders.' Says Dr Graeme Jarvis, CEO of Medicines New Zealand. Internationally, it is common practice for trade shows or exhibitions to be run in conjunction with medical conferences. These trade shows provide financial support to the conferences, which is critical for overall financial viability. The tradeshows also provide an additional attraction for conference attendees with new medical treatments and technologies being profiled and new scientific information being made available to attendees. Overseas this is possible by making it clear to conference attendees that the medicine profiled is not approved and available in the country hosting the event. New Zealand has stricter rules compared to other countries. These rules not only prohibit provision of any information relating to unapproved medicines, but also the potential availability of medicines in the future such as at scientific conferences because to do so was considered be a breach of the Medicines Act (1981). This is regardless of the content of the information or the audience it is provided to.1 'One big impact of this regulatory barrier was that any attendees at medical conferences hosted in New Zealand have missed out on easy in-country access to information about cutting edge treatments and modern medicines therapies at events which are specifically intended to be educational or on scientific developments. Instead, New Zealand healthcare professionals have had to travel internationally or spend large amounts of time doing research online to access this material.' Says Dr Jarvis. Another large effect was that local conference organisers and business associations, also struggled to pitch New Zealand as an attractive destination for these events, as pharmaceutical companies have been nervous about breaking the rules. This made many international conferences financially non-viable to run here. Practically this has also meant that many Australasian events which were traditionally rotated between New Zealand and Australia have in recent years been held in Australia instead. 'Medicines New Zealand and other like-minded groups especially Business Events Industry Aotearoa, have long advocated for changes to be made to this rule, this has also been amplified by Business New Zealand. We are all hopeful that the necessary regulatory modifications can be actioned quickly to enable New Zealand to be both better aligned with our peer nations internationally and allow the country to maximise the health, economic and other spillover benefits that are obtained from being able to host international medical conferences in New Zealand.' Says Dr Jarvis. Note: [1]: Excerpt from Medsafe compliance guidance titled 'Marketing Products Which Are Not Approved Medicines' published on the Medsafe website on 26 November 2019. 'Medsafe interprets the Medicines Act regarding advertising as below… Provision of any information relating to unapproved medicines, or the potential availability of medicines in the future at scientific / clinical / professional conferences would be regarded as a breach of the Medicines Act, regardless of the content or audience.'
