{"id":593444,"date":"2026-09-08T01:46:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T01:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/593444\/"},"modified":"2026-09-08T01:46:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T01:46:10","slug":"national-wants-to-give-councils-cut-of-visitor-levy-after-bed-tax-rule-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/593444\/","title":{"rendered":"National wants to give councils cut of visitor levy after bed tax rule-out"},"content":{"rendered":"

National wants to hand councils a cut of the international visitor levy after ruling out a bed tax<\/a>, delivering an estimated $385 million to regions over four years for tourism-related spending if the party is re-elected.<\/p>\n

Under the election policy, funding from the levy would be “reset” from July 1 next year and split three separate ways according to finance spokesperson Nicola Willis.<\/p>\n

The Department of Conservation would receive $100 million consistently, $50 million a year would go to a new “tourism priorities fund”, and the remaining revenue left would be paid to councils based on their share of international visitor guest nights.<\/p>\n

The party previously committed to exploring its feasibility. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

That residual is forecast at $86 million in 2027\/28 and climbs to $106 million by 2030\/31.<\/p>\n

Local mayors had previously called for a bed night levy which would apply across all accommodation, including visiting Kiwis. <\/p>\n

Councils had wanted money to fund tourism-related infrastructure and events.<\/p>\n

John Glover branded the reversal “a complete U-turn” and said the decision was “collateral damage from policy being made in panic”. (Source: Breakfast)<\/p>\n

National’s tourism and hospitality spokesperson Louise Upston suggested that the new source of funding would be paid for by “visitors” instead of New Zealanders.<\/p>\n

“We know domestic visitors generate nearly twice as many guest nights as international visitors and account for around two-thirds of all guest nights,” she said.<\/p>\n

“A bed tax would disproportionately impact New Zealanders booking a weekend away, whether that’s for a sports event, a family funeral or to visit friends. <\/p>\n

“This is a clear, practical alternative to that. National has been clear that we will introduce no new taxes. We are giving regions the tools they need to manage tourism pressures – funded by visitors, not by a new tax on New Zealanders.”<\/p>\n

The policy would cost the Crown $105.1 million over four years, according to National. Cost climbs from $15.4m in the first year to $38.9m by the fourth.<\/p>\n

Party leader Christopher Luxon axed both ideas as a part of a \u2018no new taxes\u2019 election pledge. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

The cost comes from fixing the levy’s contribution to Crown baselines at $100 million a year, all of it going to the Department of Conservation (DOC). <\/p>\n

At present, the levy offsets Crown appropriations to both DOC and Tourism NZ, and the funding flowing to conservation rises and falls with visitor numbers. <\/p>\n

Central government’s discretionary tourism spending would also be trimmed, where at present, $90 million a year is available for that spending. <\/p>\n

National would replace it with a “sharper central government fund” consisting of a $50 million “tourism priorities fund”, targeting international marketing, visitor infrastructure in fast-growing regions, event attraction, and tourism data and workforce needs.<\/p>\n

Auckland and Queenstown biggest initial beneficiaries<\/p>\n

Willis pointed to the biggest beneficiaries in year one.<\/p>\n

“We estimate that in the first year of the policy Auckland Council would be eligible for $19.1 million and Queenstown Lakes would be eligible for $17.1 million, with more funding available over time,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Under National\u2019s policy, every territorial authority that hosts international visitors will receive a share of international visitor levy funding, so they can support responsible growth in tourism in their community. <\/p>\n

“Funding would begin flowing to councils from July 1, 2027, around two years earlier than it would with a bed tax. We will also provide certainty to the industry by committing not to increase the international visitor levy for at least the next three years.”<\/p>\n

Auckland would receive a forecast $85.7 million over the four years or 22% of overall funding available, followed by Queenstown-Lakes on 19.9%, or $76.7 million. Christchurch City would take $36.9 million and Rotorua District $20 million across the same period.<\/p>\n

Wellington City would receive $15.5 million over four years, Southland District $13.4 million and Westland District $12 million, while Mackenzie District, Taup\u014d District and the Far North District would each get between $6.8 million and $11.3 million.<\/p>\n

‘It\u2019s not complicated’ – Peters<\/p>\n

NZ First leader Winston Peters said National proposal was not “ring fencing” the visitor levy – it was reallocating the operating allowance “to ensure they can continue to use a convenient campaign slogan”.<\/p>\n

“Queenstown, Auckland, and other regions are screaming out for a bed levy for tourists so they can build the infrastructure to cope with the tourism their local economies desperately need.<\/p>\n

“New Zealand First supports the city deals the government made with Queenstown and Auckland and their call for a bed levy – we would ensure it does not apply to Kiwis.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s not complicated – Te Papa already has a charge at the door which New Zealanders do not need to pay – it\u2019s just commonsense.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"National wants to hand councils a cut of the international visitor levy after ruling out a bed tax,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":593445,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1389,273,11507,111,43,139,69,135,10097,270122],"class_list":["post-593444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-conservation","tag-environment","tag-national-party","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-politics","tag-tourism","tag-vote-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=593444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/593445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=593444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=593444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=593444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}