The visa for New Zealand will cost more from next year according to the government. The Kiwis have decided to impose a tax on most international visitors to fund infrastructure and ease strains on the South Pacific nation’s booming tourist sector
The tax would be collected along with the visa applications and through a new electronic travel authority, the New Zealand government said on Friday.
The new tax of up to $24.40 per person will start in mid-2019. It will to provide an extra $39.7 million-$55.8 million a year to fund conservation and infrastructure.
A record surge in tourism in the past four years has fueled New Zealand’s impressive economic growth but left its infrastructure straining, with locals complaining of once-tranquil nature walks crowded with people and rubbish.
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The nation, with a population of around 4.5 million, saw a almost 30% surge in tourists since 2015 to 3.8 million in the year to April, according to data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
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