NZ boosts travel tax

THE New Zealand travel and tourism sector is aghast at a Government decision to more than double the country’s Border Processing Levy (BPL).

Effective 01 Dec, the current NZ$20.11 fee per airline passenger return trip will become NZ$43.73, with Travel Agents Association of NZ (TAANZ) President Brent Thomas blasting the move as “kicking an industry while it’s down”.

Tourism Industry Aoteoroa CEO Chris Roberts said the fees were being increased in order to recover the full cost of border services over the next three years - despite it being impossible to currently accurately predict what travel patterns will be.

Levies for cruise passengers are also being increased to NZ$36.72.