Prime Minister John Key has told Queenstown to get started on building a regional events centre.
Mr Key used his annual trip to open the resort's Winter Festival on Friday to push his plan to attract more business tourists to New Zealand.
He suggested the area should build what he called a regionally significant convention centre to attract a larger slice of the lucrative conference market.
Mr Key says the Government will look at helping pay some of the cost of building it.
Queenstown Lakes District mayor Vanessa van Uden says the cost of such a venue must be reasonable, unlike the failed plans for an arts centre three years ago where costs ballooned to nearly $100 million.
