On Tuesday, the New Zealand government announced that it will raise the international visitor, conservation, and tourist fees to NZ$100 ($61.85) from NZ$35 on October 1 to "ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand."On Tuesday, the New Zealand government announced that it will raise the international visitor, conservation, and tourist (IVL) taxes to NZ$100 ($61.85) from NZ$35 on October 1 to "ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand."
New Zealand's tourism association, Aotearoa, claimed the plans to nearly triple the tourist fees, together with a recent 60% increase in visitor visa costs, would make the nation "incredibly expensive" to visit.
During the pandemic, New Zealand closed its border for two and a half years, and it has struggled to return to pre-pandemic tourist numbers, but still haven 't recovered. Tourism is very important for the economy, with international visitors spending over NZ$13.2B ($8.2bn) last year.