Viv Beck: Heart of the City Chief Executive supports a bed tax as a way to fund these events which bring people to Auckland

A renewed push for an Auckland bed tax, after a strong summer for its hotels. 

They experienced a five-million-dollar boost, largely due to SailGP and country musician Luke Combs' Eden Park concerts in January. 

CBRE Hotels and Leisure says an extra eight-thousand hotel rooms were booked over the four days. 

Heart of the City Chief Executive, Viv Beck told Andrew Dickens she supports a bed tax, as a way to fund these events which bring people to Auckland. 

She says it's thought that could contribute to the America's Cup - but time is of the essence, to get it across the line. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now Walkland hotels are getting a major cash hit from
big events. During the weekend when Luke Comb's The Country
Singer and sale GP were in town, hotels made it
an extra five million dollars, meaning that they filled an
extra eight thousand rooms over four days. So how did
the CEO see heart did the city CEO Vivic joins in? Hello, viv,

(00:22):
nice to talk, so nice to see you. It just
goes to show just how much of an impact these
big things have.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
They really do. I mean, we see it. You know,
we sort with Pink last year, Coldplay and Pearl Jam,
sal GP. They make a huge impact. I mean big
and small events attract people. But when you get a
really big one and the hotels the fall and the
restaurants a fall and the place is buzzing. That's just
really what you need to see.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
And whose responsibility is it to keep these big events
coming to all of our cities.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Well, it depends what they are. I mean, you know,
where there are public benefits, I think there is a
rationale for public something, but understand and that's tight and sensitive,
So you know, that's that's that's the question. Really, the
funding is a challenge with some of the bigger events.
But the reality is, I think there's a strong recognition

(01:13):
that events have a big impact, and if there are
public benefits, I think there is a rationales have public
money in it.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
I think the America's Cup debate has colored those sorts
of comments because that required sort of the sort of
money like two hundred million dollars from government and councils
to get the America's Cup here, because we have to
pay for their research costs as well as just hosting
the entire event. But most of the events that we're
talking about, the Cold Place as you say, and the
sal GP, they haven't been a big spend.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Well, a lot of them are privately thunder and pay
for them. But if you look at the America's Cup,
and if you look at the Barcelona results that have
come out, you know they say that's a two billion
dollar economic impact, maybe half a million unique visitors, one
hundred and fifty super yachts. You know that if you
think about America's Cup here, we've got the infrastructure, so
it's the economic benefit, the trade, the tourism, and really

(02:05):
the sort of huge reputation we have in that marine
innovation and technology space. There's a lot of benefits that
come from a large event like that, particularly when you've
got the infrastructure. So it is going to need a
private funding as well, but we're big supporters of getting
that back and having that in twenty twenty seven would

(02:25):
be a massive boost.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
But it's true for everything we've been through, it's true
that our hotels are feast and famine because in between
these big events, we actually have low occupancy and they're
complaining about it. And meanwhile, the call came out over
the weekend for bed tax basically so that we've got
a fund that we can keep bringing events like this
to keep our hotels still. Do you support a bed tax?

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, yeah, we do. I mean that's something that actually
the industry generally seems to be supporting, and there's been
a call for some time now and actually needs to
get some urgency because one of the thoughts is that
that could be a way to contribute to the America's Cup.
But time is of the essence, and it is something
that a number of groups had been asking for for

(03:05):
some time, and there are various ways you can attract money,
but you know, the real is this is one that
seems to have more favored than certainly the last accommodation tax,
which really was unfair on the hotel sector. But this
one is a small percentage on top of a room
rate that would contribute to attracting these large events and

(03:28):
destination marketing.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
V thank you for your time today, and in fact
I saw back the other day at an arts festival
event and that also was stimulating the economy.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
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