The National Party is criticising the Tourism Minister's comments on backpackers as harmful to the sector.
Speaking at the Tourism Export Council, Stuart Nash said the country's tourism needed to attract "discerning travellers" and not those travelling on a shoestring.
National's tourism spokesperson Todd McClay is demanding the minister withdraw his comments, which he said were damaging to the sector, still struggling from the effects of Covid.
Backpackers were the lifeblood of hostels around the country, and provided vital seasonal work, McClay said.
"Many backpackers who come to New Zealand are allowed to work and you know the tourism sector and horticulture desperately need workers at the moment, they don't have enough.
"It would be a shame if they thought New Zealand wasn't welcoming them, the minister's got to fix this quickly."
He estimated 65,000 backpackers came to Aotearoa in 2019.
One hundred hostels had closed their doors, cutting bed numbers by 7000, McClay said.
RNZ
