The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling on Auckland Council to scrap its Accommodation Providers' Targeted Rate (APTR) – the tax on hoteliers and Air BnB’ers to fund ATEED’s tourism and event promotion – while the sector faces next to no revenue due to COVID-19.

“Let’s face it, the only people staying in hotels right now are those in quarantine,” says Jo Holmes, a spokesperson for the Ratepayers’ Alliance. “The vast majority of hotels have zero revenue, and the Air BnB market is non-existent. Continuing to impose a hotel and Air BnB tax will send many of these businesses to the wall.”

“The Council’s targeted rate is to fund ATEED’s tourism and event promotion. But for the foreseeable future, that role is totally redundant. The Mayor has said himself that all tourism and events promotion is suspended, so why are we still paying for it?"

"Scrapping both ATEED and the unaffordable tax which funds it, makes sense if we are to keep accommodation businesses afloat until tourism eventually comes back.”

“These decisions aren’t easy. But ATEED is simply surplus to requirements right now, and unaffordable. The Mayor should show leadership and cut these unnecessary costs.”

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