Review 2025: A new chapter for Hospitality NZ and another big year ahead

19th December 2025 By Contributor

Hospitality New Zealand’s new chief executive, Kristy Phillips, reflects on a tough operating environment, cautious optimism, and the work still ahead to support operators across the country.

I’m only a month into my role as chief executive at Hospitality New Zealand, but I’ve spent most of my working life in hospitality. It’s a privilege to now be serving our industry – something I’m hugely passionate about. 

The last few years have been hard work for people in hospitality, and 2025 has been no exception. We’re still coming out of an incredibly challenging operating environment. There’s some cautious optimism out there in some quarters though, with the shine of the summer months hopefully continuing throughout the year.

Knowing and seeing the value our restaurants, cafes, bars and accommodation providers bring to their local communities is something that makes me proud. I feel privileged to be able to drive and support the industry into the future. 

Many of Hospitality New Zealand’s members, and others in the hospo industry, run their businesses to bring their own dreams or passions to life. They have a genuine desire to provide special experiences to their guests that shows through in their offerings.

To play a part in helping them bring these dreams or passions to fruition is both humbling and rewarding.

There’s a lot to do to achieve that, of course. We will continue to work hard to help our members in 2026 in a number of key areas, including advocating for better regulations to make it easier for them to operate.

One of the recommendations of the 2024 Hospitality Summit, delivered in conjunction by Hospitality New Zealand, the Restaurant Association and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, was for the Ministry of Regulation to conduct a review of the hospitality sector. This has since eventuated with a final report due to ministers for consideration by April 2026.

The review currently underway is an important step for the industry. Having clearer, more consistent rules will give operators more certainty and help reduce compliance costs. It should also mean businesses operating in different regions are no longer dealing with different rules in each location.

We’re also looking forward to the alcohol reforms announced by Minister Nicole McKee in August this year moving through Parliament, and hopefully bringing some much-needed common sense to the licensing space.

In 2026, we expect a few clear trends to continue to emerge. Visitors are looking for experiences, whether that’s dining or accommodation, and New Zealand’s food story is set to take centre stage in support of that. 

This will be helped by the first Michelin guide for New Zealand restaurants which will be released in mid-2026. This follows the launch of Michelin’s accommodation guide here earlier this year, with 19 New Zealand venues collectively earning 25 Michelin Keys.

Technology will also play a continually increasing role, with artificial intelligence and social platforms shaping how people find, plan and book their experiences. And the commitment by the government to encourage more events will hopefully have a big impact by bringing people through the doors and supporting local businesses across the motu.

One thing I’d like to see more of in 2026 though is greater recognition that hospitality offers a genuine career path. Many of the business owners I speak with across New Zealand are keen to identify chances to continuously learn and improve, both for themselves and for their teams. There are opportunities to learn and grow at every stage, whether that’s someone who is just starting out, or has been in the industry for years.

This focus on skills is an important means of helping hospitality businesses better attract, support and retain their workforce. We’ve made progress over the last few years, and it’s important we don’t lose that momentum. This is something Hospitality New Zealand will be focusing on next year, in conjunction with our partners.

Hospitality is always changing, and that’s one of its strengths. After a tough period, we’re hearing that many members are starting to prepare for the growth we’ve been working towards, and that prospect is one our industry is hopeful for.

Here’s to more growth for next year and beyond.