New Zealand hikes tourist tax nearly three-fold, fuelling concern in the tourism industry 

 The New Zealand administration recently declared that starting in October, it will implement a threefold tax hike on foreign tourism facilities. Therefore, the government clarified that international visitor and conservation fees will increase from NZ $35 to $100 or $61. 85 to guarantee tourists are given quality services and experiences and asked to contribute to services and conservation.

 The good news is that Australian tourists and visitors from most Pacific countries will not have to pay this levy. The reason for this is the increase in tourist flows in New Zealand, which has the opposite effect and negatively affects the country’s landscapes. The construction failed under the pressure of tourists. The current courthouse fee of 35NZ$, implemented in July 2019, has been deemed incapable of sustaining the costs related to environmental and infrastructural pressures from such a huge tourism influx.

Tourism Minister Matt Doocey justified the fee increase, saying it would help guarantee that global travellers contribute to vital conservation areas and programs, including improving biodiversity in the country’s parks. He said this new levy is reasonable and assured the world that New Zealand will remain the preferred country for tourists.

The Association’s chief executive, Rebecca Ingram, noted that New Zealand is way behind the rest of the world in tourism recovery, and the higher fees may further hamper the nation’s overall competitiveness as a tourist destination.

Statistics show that New Zealand received more than 3 million international tourists last year. TOEFL data show that 2 million international and domestic tourists visit Cuba annually, and 1. 3 million Australians with whom it will have no effect and who will not be affected in any way. However, the fee increase can upset the major traveler-generating markets such as the United States, China, the United Kingdom, India, South Korea, and Germany, which contributed one million in one year before.

The latest figures from Statistics New Zealand show that travel exports for the period ending 30 June this year reached NZ$14.96 billion, 5% below the pre-pandemic level. Similarly, the establishment has yet to recover the number of visitors it used to receive before border closures, with the number currently at about 80 per cent of pre-border numbers.

Apart from the rising tourist tax, the New Zealand government has also increased the costs of visas for visitors and is still planning for more charges at regional airports. Billie Moore, the chief executive of NZ Airports, characterised the three strategies. This is because they affect the tourism sector, which is struggling to support New Zealand’s economy after the downturn.