New Zealand considers tourist fees for iconic sites amid sustainability pressures
Various pricing options under consideration as the stress on facilities become expensive for the Conservation Department and local councils to bear
New Zealand is considering charging tourists, both local and international, when they visit national parks and other public land that is home to some of the nation’s most iconic scenic attractions.
The government is seeking feedback on a range of proposals to modernise how it manages these areas, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said Friday in Wellington. The consultation includes how to control and maximise commercial access for tourism and other businesses as well as rules to better protect natural sites.
“We’re also consulting on a proposal to introduce access charges for some public conservation areas,” Potaka said. “Access fees are widely used internationally to help maintain popular sites sustainably.”
Many of New Zealand’s landmark destinations such as Milford Sound, Aoraki Mount Cook and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing are in national parks that can be accessed free of charge. As visitor numbers grow, the stress on facilities is becoming increasingly expensive for the Conservation Department and local councils to bear, while there are concerns about the impacts on the nation’s unique plants and wildlife.
Many countries impose access charges as a way of controlling visitor numbers and raising revenue, the department said in the consultation document, pointing to Australia’s Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Fuji-Hakone-Izu in Japan and Yellowstone in the US.
The document outlines options including charging all visitors the same price, charging all visitors but allowing locals to pay less, or charging just international visitors. It does not make any recommendations.
