Friday, August 16, 2024 The Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (TECNZ) voices industry worries that the recent rise in visitor visa fees by Immigration NZ may hinder New Zealand’s efforts to recover its international tourism sector. Chief Executive Lynda Keene said, “The Tourism Export Council of New Zealand was asked for feedback on the proposed increase in fees earlier this year. TECNZ’s submission requested Immigration NZ review the increase in fees and levies and reduce by 50%.
We appreciate the proposed increase for group tour fees has been reduced. However, the standard visitor visa fee and working holiday visa fee increases might just be high enough to take New Zealand off the must-visit destination list. We, alongside Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), have raised concerns that increasing visitor visa fees during the ongoing tourism recovery is ill-timed.
The inbound sector and airlines plan their tickets and itineraries one to two years ahead, making it crucial to provide adequate notice so potential visitors can make informed decisions and secure travel plans to New Zealand. While we understand the need for some cost recovery for visa services, the current timing for full recovery is detrimental to growth in offshore markets. We would have preferred to see fee increases postponed until October 1, 2025.
The fee hike is expected to affect high-growth markets like India and the recovery of New Zealand’s second-largest visitor market, China. Both markets have s.