New Zealand to Add Tourism Tax

New Zealand will start to charge tourists for special tax, under government's new plan announced to deal with the growing influx of tourists coming from overseas. Australian and Pacific islands citizens will be exempt from it.

Tourist visits have surged by nearly a third in the past three years to 3.8 million in the 12 months to April — almost as big as the country’s population, according to several agencies reports.

“This rapid growth has impacted on the costs and availability of publicly-provided infrastructure,” AFP quoted tourism minister Kelvin Davis as saying.