A busy street in Queenstown (file photo). Photo: 123RF
Tourism leaders are worried that under-investment will affect the ability of local businesses to compete with other destinations internationally.
The government was looking to find nearly $4 billion in savings, cuts, delays and reprioritisations over the next four years.
Rebecca Ingram, chief executive of the sector group Tourism Industry Aotearoa, said that included $60 million from tourism.
She said it was worrying to see the baseline funding for the country's marketing agency, Tourism New Zealand, on the chopping block.
Ingram said tourism was one of the country's biggest export earners, and could not be left to develop by accident.
"That helps fund our schools, our healthcare and our investments," she said.
"So when tourism funding is falling behind, it impacts not only our competitors and our profile globally, but it also has the potential to impact New Zealand's ability to invest in the things that it thinks are important."
Ingram said a new blueprint for the tourism sector was about shifting towards a more regenerative future.
The proposal included plans to address funding, foster the tourism workforce, reduce carbon, and improve data and research.
Ingram said submissions had been rolling in steadily since August, and showed that people in the sector were progressive and wanted to make a difference.
"In fact in some of the submissions, they're asking for us to be bolder, to be more progressive, to advance the industry further," she said.
"And so we're looking forward to reviewing where we've been challenged to maybe be a bit braver."
The updated blueprint was expected to be revealed next month.