New Zealand Govt introduces tourist levy to counter environmental and conservation stresses

New Zealand's Government introduced the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) (Radio NZ, 01-Jul-2019). The NZD35 (USD23) levy will be collected via visa applications and is expected to raise more than NZD450 million (USD300 million) over the next five years, with proceeds to be split between conservation and tourism projects. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment tourism system and insights manager Richard Davies commented: "Tourism has put a lot of pressure on some small communities and on some places on the conservation estate. It's really exciting to have a funding tool like the IVL, which lets visitors contribute to enhancing the quality of the environment that they're coming for and contributing to some of the costs". Selected groups as well as Australians, who account for almost 50% of all international visitor arrivals, will be exempted from paying the IVL.