Labour tourism tax

To post in this sub-forum you must have made 100 posts or have Trust status or have completed our ID Verification

Forums › Politics › Labour tourism tax

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#222787 28-Aug-2017 16:03

Labour is talking about introducing a $25 arrival levy on International visitors to fund tourism infrastructure. Although I like Labour more than National, I don't much like this idea. It feels like milking the tourists, and tourists generally resent being milked. Tourism is our most important export but if we start treating them like cash cows, we may get a rude surprise when they decide to go somewhere else instead.

I think part of the tourist appeal of New Zealand is our 'quaintness', the fact that visitors are not overburdened with excessive rules and regulations and directives. People are pretty much free to go anywhere and do anything they like, as long as it isn't too crazy. But now places are clamping down on freedom camping and our walking trails are being rationed and we want to charge $25 for arriving in the country. This can quickly make the golden gooses feel like they are being plucked.

If freedom camping is a problem, as it may well be, then better solutions need to be found than just signs forbidding it. If tourist infrastructure needs more funding, try to come up with something a little more imaginative than just another flat tax. For one thing, a fixed charge on arrival will take more out of a backpacker's budget than a cruise passenger's. I don't have an instant answer to this, but I think it needs to be given more thought. Maybe extra charges can be slipped unnoticed into other tourist products, like accommodation, tours, facilities and the like.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

1 | 2

1897 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1402

#1854177 28-Aug-2017 16:22

I think the tourist tax is short sighted, it might add a feel good factor to the labour supporters, we are directly taxing those that use the services, but inbound tourists already add heaps to the coffers, indirectly through increased employment, economic activity etc and more directly with GST on the goods / services they consume whilst they are here.

I think its partly at the heart of all labour policy - tax the rich. If someone can afford to travel here, they must be rich, therefore we must tax them.

And as with any new tax, someone always has to collect it and account for it, tax systems need to be updated etc etc etc, more costs added onto businesses.

Plus, where will the money go, "to boost tourism infrastructure", yeah right, Just another tax to fund their social welfare spendathon

Wiggum

1199 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 472
Inactive user

#1854181 28-Aug-2017 16:27

This sounds like a step backwards. Just a few years ago we got rid of the departure (tax/levy?) at Wellington airport. It was a pain, and was very shortsighted. This seems no different.

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1854268 28-Aug-2017 18:49

It makes sense, all the track's, walkways, viewing platforms, toilet facilities etc all cost money to build and maintain.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Wiggum

1199 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 472
Inactive user

#1854291 28-Aug-2017 19:28

MikeB4: It makes sense, all the track's, walkways, viewing platforms, toilet facilities etc all cost money to build and maintain.

Makes me wonder how other countries do it, with far better international airports than our own, and no extra taxes.

Extremely shortsighted. Lets tax this.

dejadeadnz

2394 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2287
Inactive user

#1854299 28-Aug-2017 19:47

MikeB4: It makes sense, all the track's, walkways, viewing platforms, toilet facilities etc all cost money to build and maintain.

It's not even necessarily that which makes me support it. Seriously, it's $25 -- people aren't going to not travel to NZ because of this and most people that have a life aren't going to worry about it (apart from the reflexive "How dare they have a new tax" types). If the money is used towards doing something useful, that will be a good outcome.

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1854301 28-Aug-2017 19:50

Wiggum:

MikeB4: It makes sense, all the track's, walkways, viewing platforms, toilet facilities etc all cost money to build and maintain.

Makes me wonder how other countries do it, with far better international airports than our own, and no extra taxes.

Extremely shortsighted. Lets tax this.

Tourists do not stay in the airport, they go out into the country and use the extensive facilities.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Wiggum

1199 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 472
Inactive user

#1854310 28-Aug-2017 20:02

MikeB4:

Tourists do not stay in the airport, they go out into the country and use the extensive facilities.

Well tourists are already paying GST on all goods/services while holidaying here (15% is already very high). Why charge them an additional tax? It reeks of double dipping!

Some countries give VAT/GST back to tourists when they leave the country again. We dont do that either. We should be encouraging tourists to come here, and spend money. Not sending them home broke!

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1854331 28-Aug-2017 20:11

Wiggum:

MikeB4:

Tourists do not stay in the airport, they go out into the country and use the extensive facilities.

Well tourists are already paying GST on all goods/services while holidaying here (15% is already very high). Why charge them an additional tax? It reeks of double dipping!

Some countries give VAT/GST back to tourists when they leave the country again. We dont do that either. We should be encouraging tourists to come here, and spend money. Not sending them home broke!

Some countries have 10 times, 20 times 30 times our population to pay for the infrastructure and facilities.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Wiggum

1199 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 472
Inactive user

#1854336 28-Aug-2017 20:14

MikeB4:

Wiggum:

MikeB4:

Tourists do not stay in the airport, they go out into the country and use the extensive facilities.

Well tourists are already paying GST on all goods/services while holidaying here (15% is already very high). Why charge them an additional tax? It reeks of double dipping!

Some countries give VAT/GST back to tourists when they leave the country again. We dont do that either. We should be encouraging tourists to come here, and spend money. Not sending them home broke!

Some countries have 10 times, 20 times 30 times our population to pay for the infrastructure and facilities.

Agreed, and they have 10 times, 20 times 30 times the amount of infrastructure and facilities.

Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10018

#1854480 29-Aug-2017 00:09

While tourism is supposedly good for the economy, jobs in the tourism sector are low paying - lower than the average across all sectors - so unless that changes, then encouraging tourism has a negative effect on GDP and average wages. Perhaps that's where effort should be placed (encouraging high productivity employment) instead of turning the nation's workforce into an assortment of bellhops and wait staff.

If there's a contrary view to that - that it's good for the economy - then fund the infrastructure to cater for tourists out of general revenue rather than biting the hand that feeds, as everybody sees a benefit so penalising the customer seems to be a very stupid thing to do.

There's not a middle ground between those views - so an entry tax is a dumb idea.

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1854585 29-Aug-2017 09:43

Wiggum:

MikeB4:

Wiggum:

MikeB4:

Tourists do not stay in the airport, they go out into the country and use the extensive facilities.

Well tourists are already paying GST on all goods/services while holidaying here (15% is already very high). Why charge them an additional tax? It reeks of double dipping!

Some countries give VAT/GST back to tourists when they leave the country again. We dont do that either. We should be encouraging tourists to come here, and spend money. Not sending them home broke!

Some countries have 10 times, 20 times 30 times our population to pay for the infrastructure and facilities.

Agreed, and they have 10 times, 20 times 30 times the amount of infrastructure and facilities.

Compare NZ to UK, very similar land size and infrastructure yet circa 66million to fund it.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1854589 29-Aug-2017 09:48

Fred99:

While tourism is supposedly good for the economy, jobs in the tourism sector are low paying - lower than the average across all sectors - so unless that changes, then encouraging tourism has a negative effect on GDP and average wages. Perhaps that's where effort should be placed (encouraging high productivity employment) instead of turning the nation's workforce into an assortment of bellhops and wait staff.

If there's a contrary view to that - that it's good for the economy - then fund the infrastructure to cater for tourists out of general revenue rather than biting the hand that feeds, as everybody sees a benefit so penalising the customer seems to be a very stupid thing to do.

There's not a middle ground between those views - so an entry tax is a dumb idea.

We are experiencing a huge increase in tourist numbers with over 1 million in peak times. This is putting huge strain on our infrastructure and tourist areas. Walking tracks, wooden walkways, viewing platforms and safety devices toilets and waste disposal. Especially noticeable in areas that have low value tourism eg freedom campers.

A tax to help fund this makes sense or an increase in general taxation to fund thus subsidising overseas visitors.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Byrned

455 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 27

#1854626 29-Aug-2017 10:53

I look at this and I wonder where it will end.

We already put a $22 Border Clearance levy in place last year. So whats another $25. And then Auckland's regional fuel tax which will also be passed onto tourists (pretty much all international tourists arrive through Auckland and at least spend a few days there.

There is also the Fair Pay Agreement policy which will see businesses (which ones?) and the unions within industries, decide what the basic rates of pay or standards should be. It doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to know that the unions will say that rates need to higher which will also push up the costs of tourists visiting, not to mention other costs which will flow through.

Now we all think that NZ is a huge tourist destination, especially as it is our #1 earner of foreign dollars. Yet if you have a look at where tourists go, we don't even come in the top 10 destinations for Asia/Pacific. Now tourists may want to come to NZ, but the decision is an elastic one, so the more you increase the cost of coming here, the more the decision is to go elsewhere. We already have enough issues with regional jobs, but

I think that is the thing that people don't consider. They see the surface policy and think this is something I agree with, but don't look at the flow on effect.

Byrned

455 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 27

#1854628 29-Aug-2017 10:58

MikeB4:

We are experiencing a huge increase in tourist numbers with over 1 million in peak times. This is putting huge strain on our infrastructure and tourist areas. Walking tracks, wooden walkways, viewing platforms and safety devices toilets and waste disposal. Especially noticeable in areas that have low value tourism eg freedom campers.

A tax to help fund this makes sense or an increase in general taxation to fund thus subsidising overseas visitors.

So, last year we had something like 3.6 million tourists to NZ. Apparently the GST take alone on each one is $400 which brings in a little over $1.4 billion to the Government books. Now add in the extra from business and personal taxes from those in the industry and associated services.

I think tourists are already contributing a lot for infrastructure and services.

JayADee

2233 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 478

#1855576 31-Aug-2017 06:48

I don't know the best way to fund it but being in a tourist area I sure can see the impact on the land and facilities due to the number of tourists.

1 | 2