WELLINGTON, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Most tourists visiting New Zealand will pay 100 NZ dollars to the government, up from the current 35 NZ dollars, from the start of October, when applying for a visa or New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority.
The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be almost tripled to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, according to the government on Tuesday.
International tourism comes with costs to local communities, including additional pressure on regional infrastructure and higher upkeep and maintenance costs across the conservation estate, said Tourism Minister Matt Doocey.
The IVL was introduced in 2019 to ensure international visitors contributed directly to these costs, the vast majority of which are paid for by New Zealand taxpayers and ratepayers, Doocey said.
A public consultation found 93 percent of about 1,100 submissions on the proposed changes to the IVL supported raising the IVL to help cover the costs of tourism, he said, adding the 100 NZ dollars would generally make up less than 3 percent of the total spending for an international visitor while in New Zealand, meaning it is unlikely to have a significant impact on visitor numbers.
International tourism plays "a hugely important role" in the New Zealand economy, with international visitors spending more than 11 billion NZ dollars in the year ending March 2024, Doocey said, adding the growth of the tourism sector is part of New Zealand's overall goal of doubling exports in a decade.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said taxpayers have already contributed close to 884 million NZ dollars a year to tourism and conservation, including tourism promotion, natural heritage and recreation.
New Zealand and Australian citizens, permanent residents, diplomats and people from many Pacific Island countries are exempt from the payment. (1 New Zealand dollar equals 0.62 U.S. dollars) ■
