The New Zealand government has announced that travellers to the country will soon have to pay nearly thrice the amount in entry fees, a move which business events stakeholders fear will deter business events.

From October 1, international visitor and conservation and tourism fees will be raised to NZ$100 (US$62) from NZ$35. The decision was made after the NZ$35 fee, which was first introduced in July 2019, proved insufficient to cover the costs incurred by the impact of tourists on the natural environment.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa’s CEO, Lisa Hopkins, told TTGmice: “We are deeply disappointed by the government’s decision to triple the International Visitor Levy, which goes against the advice and submission BEIA recommended. We are particularly sensitive to the impact this will have on visitors from Asia – a market that is crucial to the future of New Zealand’s business events industry.”

Still, Hopkins hopes that New Zealand’s “many outstanding assets”, such as its three new convention centres, its natural beauty, the tradition of hospitality and care (manaakitanga) and “status as an aspirational destination” will continue to attract business events.

Ken Pereira, head of business events at Auckland Convention Bureau, stated: “While we recognise the importance of funding for tourism to ensure our natural environment and tourism infrastructure remain world-class, increasing the international visitor levy at this time presents a challenge for our sector.”

This is because international visitor numbers have yet to recover to pre-Covid-19 levels, and this levy poses an additional barrier for business events clients in choosing New Zealand, he added.

Jessica Vandy, founder and managing director of New Zealand-based tourism and events agency The Tenth Letter Consulting, opined that the increased levy for international delegates will “have a lesser impact on business events attendance” as compared to the leisure sector.

“However, it is likely to be seen as an additional barrier for business travel, and it may end up disproportionately affecting student delegates or those who come from under-represented communities, with the increased cost potentially limiting their participation,” she pointed out.

“We believe New Zealand still offers exceptional value, and rest assured, the business events sector will do everything possible to ensure that hosting an event in Aotearoa is the easiest and best decision for our international visitors,” stressed Hopkins.