Tourists happy to be taxed $25 when entering New Zealand
Some tourists say they wouldn't mind paying $25 to $35 when entering New Zealand.
Tourists say New Zealand is worth paying $25 for.
The Government announced on Friday it was investigating a potential tourism tax. It has launched a consultation period to see if an international visitor levy would ease the burden on communities and ratepayers for tourism-related infrastructure.
The proposed levy would be between $25 and $35 for each international visitor entering New Zealand for 12 months or less, apart from Australian citizens, most Pacific Island Forum countries and permanent residents.
French tourist Lucile Cardona, 27, says $25 is not a lot compared to the overall cost of travelling.
French tourist Lucile Cardona, 27, who was in Queenstown on Friday, said she supported the tourism tax idea.
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The fee would be small compared to visa costs and flights to New Zealand.
Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult says a bed tax is a more "logical" way of funding tourism infrastructure.
"If you want to come and work here you have to pay $200 for a visa, but if you come as a visitor for three months you don't have to pay," she said.
Cardona did not think less tourists would visit New Zealand if the levy was adopted.
"It's not a lot so I think it would be all good."
American tourists Elisabeth and Lori Steiger said they would not mind paying a fee to enter New Zealand.
"It's such a beautiful country that I can see we need to protect it. I don't think it would be too intrusive, it's well worth the visit here – it's so beautiful," Lori Steiger said.
Elisabeth Steiger said paying more than $35 would be "too much".
"There are a lot of attractions that cost $100 or $200 and it would make a small dent in available funds.
"Fifty dollars would be the most I'd pay overall but anything above that would be a bit ridiculous, especially with how many tourists come here at the first place," she said.
Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult said he was disappointed with the Government's proposal.
A bed tax was a more "logical" concept and he would continue to lobby for it.
The Government claims the levy would bring in $57 million to $80m in its first year, depending on the rate, which would be split between tourism infrastructure and conservation activity.
"If 50 per cent of it goes to areas impacted by large numbers of tourists, then a minuscule amount would end up coming to us."
There were a lot of projects already under way in Queenstown and Wanaka that put pressure on ratepayers, Boult said.
"We are wearing the pain of New Zealand' largest industry – tourism.
"For us to continue to present Queenstown as a beautiful place, as it is, we need more money and a bed tax is the most painless way to do it."
Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said the proposed tourism tax was a "step in the right direction".
"I always said that a scheme like this was needed to increase the funding available to us."
His view on the idea would depend on how the funds were "stretched out" around the country though, he said.
Cromwell resident Connie Prins, originally from South Africa, said she would not have minded paying the tax when she first came to the country.
"It's minimal, it's nothing."
It would be a "win-win" for residents and tourists to have money invested into better toilet and car parking facilities, she said.
"If you don't want to or can't pay $25 then you should not come here. You are probably going to bum around and not really invest in the country."
- Stuff
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