Tourist charges certainly aren’t a new thing – they’ve already been introduced by the likes of Bhutan, Bali and Venice – but more and more destinations are rolling them out.
And if you’re planning on visiting New Zealand in the near future, whether on a classic gap year trip or for a regular jolly, you’ll need to find the cash to pay the soon-to-be hiked tourist tax.
Known for its stunning natural beauty, wine culture and, of course, Kiwifruit, in 2023, more than 3.2 million tourists visited New Zealand.
The country is no stranger to charging its tourists, as it first introduced the levy in July 2019 amid concerns about the impact of overtourism on the natural environment.
Now, it’ll be increasing the price of its International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy to NZ$100 (£47.20) from October 1.
The fee previously came in at NZ$35 (£16.52) – almost three times cheaper.
Why has New Zealand increased its tourist tax?
According to Reuters, the government has introduced the change to ‘ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand.’
However, New Zealand’s Tourism Industry Association has raised concerns that higher fees will put tourists off from visiting altogether, as Rebecca Ingram, the association’s chief executive, added that ‘New Zealand’s tourism recovery is falling behind the rest of the world, and this will further dent our global competitiveness.’
Which countries have introduced tourist taxes?
New Zealand isn’t the only place to have introduced a tourist tax in recent years.
In April, Venice introduced a €5 (£4.21) fee for tourists alongside restrictions on tour groups. An estimated 30 million tourists walk through the narrow streets of the sinking city each year, but in 2022, only around 3.2 million people stayed overnight – though still higher than the approximate 50,000 residents.
So, amid concerns of overtourism, the Venice City Council implemented restrictions. From June onwards, guided groups travelling to the UNESCO World Heritage Site were limited to a maximum of 25 people – or around half the capacity of a standard tour bus.
Meanwhile, Bhutan has been charging a tourist tax since 1974 – and it now costs a hefty $100 per day for adults.
And, earlier this year, the Indonesian island of Bali introduced a 150,000 rupiah fee (£7.70) to visit in a bid to protect the island’s culture and environment.
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