NZ tourism levy to fund parks research and management

New Zealand’s researchers are to benefit from a $35 tax paid by international tourists that will raise more than $450 million over the next five years, tourism minister Kelvin Davis has said.

The international visitor conservation and tourism levy was passed by the NZ parliament on 1 June and will come into effect on 1 July. It will be collected with visa fees through NZ’s immigration system.

Davis said the fees would be split between conservation and tourism and would fund environmental projects, tourism infrastructure and management systems.