No-go for New Zealand

well as businesses, he said.

‘‘Anyone who’s been up to the ski fields in the July school holidays knows how cramped it can get.

‘‘If that two-week break was spread over three or four, it would be better for everyone,’’ Bagrie said.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts said the tourism industry had supported staggered school terms for many years.

It would not necessarily boost tourism overall, but would make it easier for tourism operators to manage staff and resources.

‘‘[The idea] was quickly rejected by the minister and Ministry of Education and has gone no further. It seems they weren’t even prepared to discuss it,’’ he said.

National Party tourism spokesman Todd McClay said his research showed that in Europe, the system tended to lead to unfair advantages for some areas and did not always remove the bottleneck.

A spokeswoman for Tourism Minister Stuart Nash referred Stuff to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which created the briefing paper, for further comment.

‘‘The minister receives a wide range of advice from multiple sources and won’t necessarily have a view on every idea put forward in the tourism sector.’’

Nash also had no decisionmaking role when it came school holidays, she said.

‘‘Terms and holidays are currently set, based on principles agreed by the sector, with notice years in advance.’’

Chris Hipkins

Education Minister