Iata has criticised the New Zealand government for sharply increasing its International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
This news comes hard on the heels of the government recently announcing that it would increase its tourist visa by 60%.
The IVL is currently NZ$35 (R385), but it will rise to NZ$100 (R1 100) in October, reports Travel Weekly.
“It has been a double whammy for the New Zealand travel and tourism sector, starting with New Zealand Immigration announcing steep increases in visa fees, and now the increase in the IVL,” says Xie Xingquan, Iata Interim Regional VP for North Asia and Asia-Pacific.
“These changes make travel to New Zealand more expensive and less attractive and could further delay the recovery in visitor numbers to beyond 2026.”
Although New Zealand’s tourism has not recovered to its pre-pandemic levels, the country emerged from COVID, prioritising its shift to regenerative, sustainable travel and tourism, according to Euronews. The higher tourism fee will be used partly to boost conservation efforts, such as habitat creation and pest eradication, which mitigate the impacts of foreign visitors. It will also be used to develop sustainable tourism offerings, including the maintenance of natural attractions, hiking and cycling trails.
Xingquan has urged the New Zealand government to use some of the fee to support decarbonisation efforts in the aviation sector.