Dear MEL Topic Readers,
New Zealand is tripling its tourist tax
There are over 60 destinations around the world that charge some form
of tourist taxes or fees. Rome and Venice in Italy, Barcelona in Spain, and Bali
in Indonesia are some of the tourist destinations that charge such fees or
taxes. Also, Bhutan charges a daily tourist fee of $100 per person, even though
it includes accommodation, food, transport, and a guide. Now, New Zealand will increase
the entrance fee to visitors from $22 to $62 from October. The International
Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) was introduced in 2019 to help the
nation fund maintenance costs and conservation estate. Over three million
visitors will be affected annually. The travel industry is worried as New
Zealand is still on the way to recovery from the pandemic. Also, since the
country is so far away from anywhere but Australia, they are concerned about
the competitiveness with other popular travel destinations like Canada and
Australia where more flights are available and entry fees are less prohibitive.
Yet tourists help the local economy, they add financial and environmental burdens
to local communities. After the pandemic, more tourist destinations are striving
for a balance between tourism and the environment.
Read the article and learn about a recent tourist fee hike in New
Zealand.
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