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Extra costs will hurt tourism
By Paul Focamp Southland could lose $21 million in tourism revenue if the Government shifted the costs of customs to the international traveler. Tourism Industry Association chief executive Glenys Coughlan said visitor numbers to New Zealand might drop by a quarter if the Government charged more in departure taxes. She based that on a survey conducted on overseas visitors at Auckland International Airport in June. Reducing visitors by 25 percent represented a national drop of $790 million, and Southland's share of that was $21 million, she said. The Government wants to save $24 million a year by recovering all costs from New Zealand ports and airports by July 1. Southland District Mayor Frana Cardno said yesterday Southland was already expensive for overseas travelers without extra costs. Tourism operators were trying to brave the Asian crisis and this would not help. Cabinet was ideologically driven and it was unrealistic to expect
the tourism industry to absorb more costs, Mrs. Cardno said. |
