# Minister for Tourism and Hospitality (New Zealand)

The Minister for Tourism and Hospitality is a minister in the New Zealand Government appointed by the Prime Minister to be in charge of supporting and promoting tourism and hospitality. The current Minister for Tourism and Hospitality is Louise Upston.

## Background

The office was established in 1906 as the Minister for the Tourist and Health Resort Department. Later, it was known more simply as the Minister for Tourist and Health Resorts. From 1963 to 2023 the portfolio had the single title of Minister of Tourism. A related portfolio, sometimes held alongside the tourism portfolio, was Minister in charge of Publicity.
Historically, the Minister of Tourism held the lowest-ranking position in the cabinet during the 1960s and 1970s, although it was held by senior minister Mike Moore in the mid-1980s, prime minister John Key from 2008 to 2016, and senior ministers Paula Bennett and Kelvin Davis from 2016 to 2020.
Since 2023, the portfolio title has been Minister for Tourism and Hospitality.

## Responsibilities

Historically, the Minister was responsible for overseeing the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts which was a separate government department during three distinct periods: 1901 to 1909, 1912 to 1930, and 1945 to 1991. From 1954 the department's name was the Tourist and Publicity Department. Its responsibilities included running government-owned hotels and managing publicly owned scenic assets. Under the now repealed Tourist and Publicity Department Act 1963, the Minister of Tourism had authority to establish and operate travel agencies, arrange and operate group coach tours, and establish and operate tourist services, attractions, amenities, and facilities, although these functions could be delegated to the general manager of the department.
Today, the Minister continues to be responsible for supporting and promoting tourism and hospitality in New Zealand. They are responsible for Tourism New Zealand, which is the Crown entity responsible for marketing New Zealand as a tourist destination. They are the responsible minister for the Freedom Camping Act 2011, which enables local government to regulate freedom camping. The Minister receives administrative and policy support from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

## List of ministers

The following ministers have held the office of Minister of Tourism.

### Key

Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National
| No. | No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| As Minister for Tourist and Health Resorts ||||||||
| | 1 | Joseph Ward | 6 August 1906 | 6 January 1909 | Ward |
| | 2 | Thomas Mackenzie | 6 January 1909 | 10 July 1912 | Ward |
| | 2 | Thomas Mackenzie | 6 January 1909 | 10 July 1912 | Mackenzie |
| | 3 | Heaton Rhodes | 10 July 1912 | 12 August 1915 | Massey |
| | 4 | Robert McNab | 12 August 1915 | 3 February 1917 | Massey |
| | 5 | William MacDonald | 17 February 1917 | 22 August 1919 | Massey |
| | 6 | William Nosworthy | 4 September 1919 | 10 December 1928 | Massey |
| | 6 | William Nosworthy | 4 September 1919 | 10 December 1928 | Bell |
| | 6 | William Nosworthy | 4 September 1919 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| | (1) | Joseph Ward | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | Ward |
| | 7 | Philip De La Perrelle | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | Forbes |
| | 8 | Adam Hamilton | 22 September 1931 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| | 9 | Frank Langstone | 6 December 1935 | 21 December 1942 | Savage |
| | 9 | Frank Langstone | 6 December 1935 | 21 December 1942 | Fraser |
| | 10 | Bill Parry | 18 October 1943 | 13 December 1949 | Fraser |
| | 11 | Frederick Doidge | 13 December 1949 | 13 September 1951 | Holland |
| | 12 | William Bodkin | 13 September 1951 | 26 November 1954 | Holland |
| | 13 | Eric Halstead | 26 November 1954 | 23 March 1956 | Holland |
| | 14 | Dean Eyre | 23 March 1956 | 12 December 1957 | Holland |
| | 14 | Dean Eyre | 23 March 1956 | 12 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| | 15 | John Mathison | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| As Minister of Tourism ||||||||
| | 16 | Tom Shand | 12 December 1960 | 15 May 1961 | Holyoake |
| | (14) | Dean Eyre | 15 May 1961 | 12 December 1966 | Holyoake |
| | 17 | Robert Muldoon | 15 February 1967 | 4 March 1967 | Holyoake |
| | 18 | David Thomson | 4 March 1967 | 12 December 1969 | Holyoake |
| | 19 | Bert Walker | 12 December 1969 | 8 December 1972 | Holyoake |
| | 19 | Bert Walker | 12 December 1969 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| | 20 | Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Kirk |
| | 20 | Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| | 21 | Harry Lapwood | 12 December 1975 | 13 December 1978 | Muldoon |
| | 22 | Warren Cooper | 13 December 1978 | 12 February 1981 | Muldoon |
| | 23 | Derek Quigley | 12 February 1981 | 11 December 1981 | Muldoon |
| | 24 | Rob Talbot | 11 December 1981 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| | 25 | Mike Moore | 26 July 1984 | 24 August 1987 | Lange |
| | 26 | Phil Goff | 24 August 1987 | 10 January 1988 | Lange |
| | 27 | Jonathan Hunt | 10 January 1988 | 8 August 1989 | Lange |
| | 28 | Fran Wilde | 8 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| | 28 | Fran Wilde | 8 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| | 29 | John Banks | 2 November 1990 | 1 November 1996 | Bolger |
| | 30 | Murray McCully | 1 November 1996 | 27 April 1999 | Bolger |
| | 30 | Murray McCully | 1 November 1996 | 27 April 1999 | Shipley |
| | 31 | Lockwood Smith | 27 April 1999 | 10 December 1999 | Shipley |
| | 32 | Mark Burton | 10 December 1999 | 19 October 2005 | Clark |
| | 33 | Damien O'Connor | 19 October 2005 | 19 November 2008 | Clark |
| | 34 | John Key | 19 November 2008 | 12 December 2016 | Key |
| | 35 | Paula Bennett | 12 December 2016 | 26 October 2017 | English |
| | 36 | Kelvin Davis | 26 October 2017 | 6 November 2020 | Ardern |
| | 37 | Stuart Nash | 6 November 2020 | 1 February 2023 | Ardern |
| | 37 | Stuart Nash | 6 November 2020 | 1 February 2023 | Hipkins |
| | 38 | Peeni Henare | 1 February 2023 | 27 November 2023 | Hipkins |
| As Minister of Tourism and Hospitality ||||||||
| | 39 | Matt Doocey | 27 November 2023 | 24 January 2025 | Luxon |
| | 40 | Louise Upston | 24 January 2025 | present | Luxon |