More expensive it will cost a visit to the lakes, mountains and wineries of New Zealand as the country increases its “Visitor and Tourism Retention Levy” (IVL) from NZ$35 to NZ$100 from 1 October.

“International tourism comes with costs to local communities, including additional pressure on regional infrastructure, and higher costs of protecting and maintaining public property,” said Matt Doocey, New Zealand’s Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, as reported by CNN.

The IVL fee, which was introduced for the first time in 2019, was intended to help cover environmental protection costs across the country. According to Doocey, international tourists spent in New Zealand over $11 billion in the period between March 2023 and March 2024.

However, not everyone agrees with the tripling of the tax.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), a consortium made up of the country’s tourism industry professionals, criticized the decision.

“New Zealand’s tourism recovery is lagging behind the rest of the world, and the fee increase will further damage our competitiveness” the TIA association said in a statement. In addition, he estimates that New Zealand will lose tourists from Canada and the United Kingdom, countries that have more flights and less prohibitive fees.

The Visitor Fee it is not the only additional cost which tourists visiting New Zealand will be asked to pay. From October 1st visa issuance costs also increase from $131 to $211.

According to CNN citizens from 60 countriesincluding the US, Canada, Singapore, Japan and Mexico, are visa-exempt and can enter the country for three months if visiting for tourism purposes. They will still need to issue an e-Visa and pay the IVL.

Regardless of what it’s called, the topic of the “tourist tax” has been at the center of the tourism industry lately. Around 60 destinations around the world, from Venice to Bhutan charge some form of tax to tourists to enter and visit the country. Almost all destinations that impose a tax argue that it is necessary to compensate for congestion, environmental damage and other side effects resulting from overtourism.