Stuart Nash: Former Tourism Minister on the increasing of the international visitor levy

The government appears to have found an unlikely ally in former Tourism Minister Stuart Nash.   

It's increasing the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy from $35 to $100 next month, an increase of nearly 200%. 

Nash wanted to bring the levy up by as much as $200 back in 2022. 

He told Mike Hosking that anyone saying these fees will deter visitors is wrong. 

Nash says they're dreaming if they think an extra $65 US will be the difference between coming here or another country. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now the idea of a livy increase isn't you. In fact,
in twenty twenty two, when Stuart Nash was in charge
of tourism, he argued to increase the levey to as
much as two hundred dollars and he's with us. Very
good morning to you away, Mike.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Very well.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Indeed, when you're discussing the stuff around the cabinet table,
how much cold hard data is there on this if
you increase it, they won't come things? Or are we
just making it up as we go along.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
There's a lot of day But first of all, let
me just clarify something that will last. What's your own
bulie anymore. Yeah, there's a hell of a lot of
this money that has gone into local government. Now, keeping
in mind, make you just said the Prime Minister give
local government to serve as they stopped spending money on
basal projects. When I was Minister for tourism, A hell
of a lot of this money went to the data

(00:41):
infrastructure that tourists expect and let's infect pullbots and cap
arts and freehom camp and such and all that sort
of caras. So to say that this money doesn't go
back into tourism infrastructure, it's just bullshit, right.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
So having said that, why couldn't you get it to
two hundred dollars?

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, it was a big debating in the cabinet table.
I and you know, I'm not allowed to divulge what
happening around the table even now, but there was a
point in time where where there really was it was
fifty fifty. The thing is is when when tourists come
to New Zealm, they have an expectation of what they're
going to see. Right, So for people to say tourists
aren't going to come to New zild because a're going
to pay an extra hundred dollars, which is about sixty

(01:19):
five uisuls, which is the price of a well, very
good the bottle of Craigie Range by the way, still
waiting that that does to be delivered. That aside people
who are coming over from the States, who are coming
over from europe An extra sixty five dollars on a
two three four thousand dollars ticket makes no different to
what we've got to do, Mike is actually has the
infrastructure in place that meets the expectations of, not exceed

(01:42):
the expectations of people are coming over here.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yes, the thing about I would team to agree with
you in theory. I agree with you. But then I
get Grant Webster from Tourism Holdings On and he's in
touch with it. He says it is a physical, tangible
barrier and we're not that attractive. And the last thing
you do is he costs on.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, what I think if we're not. First of all,
you say that's fund is purely there's one hundred percent
hypothecated and very transparent. What that means is all the
money goes into tourism infrastructure or into managing the darker state.
And keeping in mind it costs about ninety five million
dollars for doctor to manage the estate, to keep it
up to a script, to a level where international tourists

(02:23):
expect it to be. The other thing is when I
hear people say, oh, we're no longer attractive. If you
think the difference between sixty five YUS dollars is going
to make, is the difference between coming here or coming
to another country your bloody dreaming. Well, one thing I
would change with this fee is I would give some
of it to Tourism Museum to ensure that they have
money to go out there the bust forward in the

(02:45):
international markets because there are a number of other countries
that's been a lot more. But what we need to
do is ensure that the money is well spent, delivers
on the infrastructure, delivers on the docker state and managing
that and creating an automate experience. So keep in mind
like this many can't go in to pay for text
capsule in with a big black hole of his health
or is it has to be spit on tourism infrastructure

(03:06):
as it has to be speaking with doctor.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
State and want on your nice to talk to you.
Appreciate it very much. Student naw Tourism, former Tourism Minister.
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