28 August 2025 The Conversation: Why entry fees at iconic natural attractions could have hidden costs

On The Conversation, Lincoln University Associate Professor Stephen Espiner discusses the existing international visitor levy to New Zealand and proposed entry fee system to iconic national parks, including the importance of where these funds should be directed.

Recent calls from sections of the tourism industry to cut the international visitor levy (IVL) risk undermining one of the few bright spots in current government policies shaping the sector.

The IVL – paid at the border by a majority of non-residents arriving from overseas – almost tripled from NZ$35 to $100 following a review in 2024.

The resulting fund is intended to support the development of much needed tourism infrastructure in regions with high visitor-to-resident ratios, and to help support conservation initiatives.

In practice, a surprisingly high proportion of the estimated $230 million annual fund has recently been allocated to pay for more international tourism marketing.

Still, the levy remains important for communities dealing with the inevitable burden of growing visitor numbers, and for the Department of Conservation’s investment in biodiversity projects, visitor management and infrastructure.

But the government also wants overseas visitors to shoulder more of the costs associated with tourism in national parks and other popular natural areas. It proposes raising more than $60 million annually by charging international tourists an entry fee of between $20 and $40 at four specific natural attractions: Aoraki-Mount Cook National Park, Tongariro Crossing, Milford Sound and Cathedral Cove. Another six sites are yet to be announced.

The public will likely support the new site-specific fees, given around 80% of visitors to those sites are from outside New Zealand. But overseas visitors may well be confused, having already paid a levy at the border.

Read the full article to understand the challenges of future proofing and protecting our natural landscapes at The Conversation here >>

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