Regional Tourism Boost (Round 3)

About the fund

The Regional Tourism Boost Round 3 (RTB3) builds on the previous Regional Tourism Boost (Rounds 1 and 2) which ran from April to June 2025 and January to June 2026 respectively, to attract international visitors and encourage their dispersal across New Zealand.

RTB3 will prioritise campaigns targeting the following visitor markets: Australia, China and North America. Campaigns should showcase travel, accommodation, tourism and visitor attractions alongside the promotion of hospitality experiences.

Eligibility Criteria

Applications are open to all regions throughout New Zealand. RTB3 applications must:

• Be led by a Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) (including Associate RTOs) who will be the contracted party for funding and be responsible for delivery of the project.
• Include at least 2 RTOs (including Associate RTOs) in the application group.
• Include an airline partner and/or a travel provider platform.
• Deliver funded activities by 31 January 2027.

There are no restrictions on what other kinds of organisations can join an application group (e.g., businesses, Māori tourism organisations, airports, councils, iwi organisations or charities).

If you are not an RTO but are interested in discussing your potential involvement in a regional campaign, contact your local or nearest RTO or Regional Tourism New Zealand.

Regional tourism organisations(external link) — Regional Tourism New Zealand

Assessment Priorities

All applications will be assessed by an independent evaluation panel with experience in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Priority will be given to applications that can demonstrate:

• the ability to increase international visitors
• high levels of collaboration between stakeholders
• the ability to increase regional dispersal of international visitors
• the capacity to host additional international visitors
• a robust measure of the impact of the effectiveness of the activities, ideally in terms of visitor numbers and/or visitor spend
• the ability to leverage private sector investment (co-funding)
• the inclusion of hospitality within campaign activity
• the ability to target a priority market (Australia, China or North America)
• complement 2026/27 Tourism New Zealand marketing activity

Application Process

The funding round will be a 2 stage process:

• Stage 1 – Expressions of Interest (EOI)
• Stage 2 – Successful EOI applicants will be invited to apply for Step 2 and to complete a detailed application form developing the EOI proposal.

An EOI process will be undertaken to assess each prospective RTB3 campaign’s alignment with eligibility criteria and assessment priorities before a selection of applicants are invited to submit a full application.

How to apply

Applications are now open

Closing dates:

• Expression of Interest: Monday 6 July 2026 at 9am NZT
• Full application: Monday 10 August 2026 at 9am NZT

EOI Application Form [DOCX, 1.7 MB]

Guidance for Applicants [DOCX, 1.3 MB]

Complete the application form and email:

regionalevents@mbie.govt.nz