The New Zealand government has announced that the travel fees for international tourists is set to triple, from NZ$35 to NZ$100.
The move comes after the government stated that it was necessary to cover costs it was struggling to keep up with post-Covid-19 recovery. The country’s official tourism board, however, has denounced the move. The New Zealand government stated that this increase was in an effort to “ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand.”
Like many countries that are tourist hotspots, there has been a struggle for the local infrastructure and natural environment to keep up with the large amount of tourists visiting the country. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the country shuttered its borders for nearly three years, and didn’t allow tourists until late 2022. Since then, the country is now trying to recapture the tourism revenue lost.
The price hike is set to begin October 1st.
Because of these new rules, the New Zealand government expects increased wait times for visa processing.
Matt Doocey, the Tourism Minister for New Zealand, said that the increased fees would not be a major deterrent for visitors, saying that what the country has to offer far outweighs the increased price. According to Doocey, the government appears “confident” that New Zealand remains an “attractive visitor destination” despite the increase. The fee will only apply to visitors from 60 countries, including much of Europe and America. Australians will not have to pay the fee.
Interestingly, New Zealand is not the only country that has implemented a fee for tourists. Venice, Italy recently launched a “trial” program where visitors were charged a 5 Euro tax to visit the city on peak days in an effort to combat over-tourism.
Japan, while not having implemented a tourist tax, is considering other ways to counter over-tourism, such as blocking famous views of Mount Fuji in local towns.
