New Zealand’s government plans to charge an entry tax for tourists visiting the country.
Dubbed the “International Visitor Conservation and Tourism” tax, the fee “will ensure our international visitors contribute to the infrastructure they use and help protect the natural places they come here to enjoy.”
With more than 3.8 million tourists visiting the country each year, it is predicted that the government can make an additional $80 million which would go towards sustaining public infrastructure for both the locals and tourists alike.
The tax will be between NZ $25 to $35, which really is not that much in the grand scheme of things.
NZ’s government is also proposing the implementation of an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) which requires airline and cruise ship passengers to provide more information about themselves regarding topics like declarations and any criminal convictions.
They hope that once the ETA is implemented, the tourist tax could eventually be added on to it to make the process simpler.
[Featured Photo: Chaz McGregor/Unsplashed]
