Kiwis to charge tourists entry fee

NEW Zealand says it will start charging tourists an entry levy, as it attempts to meet the demands of a booming tourism industry while protecting its biggest draw card, its pristine nature.

From October the country will charge tourists a $NZ35 ($A33) levy upon arrival in the country. The estimated $N80 million ($A75.8 million) raised annually is to be spent on the environment and investments in infrastructure capable of coping with the growing visitor numbers. The country of 4.9 million people welcomed 3.8 international visitors in 2018, with the number expected to top 5 million by 2025.