7. Question No. 7—Māori DevelopmentTAMATI COFFEY (Labour—Waiariki) to the Minister for Māori DevelopmentQuestion No. 7—Māori Development7. TAMATI COFFEY (Labour—Waiariki) to the Minister for Māori Development: What announcements has she made to support Māori tourism operators? Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister for Māori Development): We've acted to safeguard one of Aotearoa New Zealand's icons of Māori tourism Te Puia and the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (MAKI) by investing $7.6 million over the next two years to safeguard the future of Toi Māori. The legacy contribution of MAKI has seen the teaching of carvers weavers waka exponents and arts and crafts experts hone their skills and contribute to cultural revival over the last 100 years. This investment will continue their contribution as a training institute. Tamati Coffey: What additional support has the Government provided to Māori tourism? Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: First I want to acknowledge New Zealand Māori Tourism who have a specific mandate to support the Māori tourism sector and the work that we do. In addition to the economic recovery packages the Government have announced for businesses such as two rounds of wage subsidies and small-business loans we've allocated $10 million contingency of funding to New Zealand Māori Tourism to support the Māori tourism sector to pivot in the new environment. We've supported the stand up of a business support service led by New Zealand Māori Tourism and supported by Poutama Trust and the Māori Women's Development Inc. to help Māori small and medium sized enterprises' position during this challenging time. In addition to this New Zealand Māori Tourism provides further specialist support for Māori tourism operators. We anticipate those businesses will be a key feature of local and regional tourism networks now and moving on into the future. Tamati Coffey: How will the recovery of Māori tourism support an integrated network of tourism operators and an increased focus on regional destinations and experiences? Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Fantastic question. The Māori tourism sector employs about 14000 people across the country and includes some of the country's most iconic and globally renowned tourism attractions. Māori tourism's contribution to New Zealand is more than just financial. The network of Māori tourism businesses contribute to New Zealand's overall image brand and reputation. There is a unique point of difference on the world stage—SPEAKER: Order! Order! I'm going to interrupt the member partly because of the way she started and partly because of the very poor use of the word iconic" and the fact that the answer is far too long as the others were. Tamati Coffey: What is the biggest challenge for Māori tourism operators as they pivot towards attracting a domestic tourism market while borders remain closed? Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Undervaluing and underpricing our experiences and tourism product experiences because of the view that it's in our backyard. By getting behind our local businesses and tourist destinations we can support the sector to rebuild its way towards a recovery that retains a strong and unique point of difference to any other country in the world. As the saying goes "Let's back our backyard". Value our language culture and local stories—that way we'll all benefit."