No to more taxes on the tourism sector – MANZ

No to more taxes on the tourism sector – MANZ

The Motel Association of New Zealand (MANZ) will tell the Government “no” to new taxes for the tourism sector in its feedback on the proposed border clearance levy.

The Government is preparing to consult on the design and implementation of the $16 per inbound passenger levy announced in the 2015 budget, and the message from the tourism sector is that an additional tax is not welcome, MANZ Chief Executive Michael Baines says.

“Small businesses within the tourism sector are already suffering under the weight of red tape, so piling another tax on to visitors to New Zealand will do nothing to help increase visitor spend, and in turn the profitability of tourism businesses,” Mr Baines says.

“If the purpose of this tax is to protect our primary industries then why are they not paying the cost of it, rather than taking it out of the pocket of visitors?”

Despite the importance of tourism to New Zealand it seems that it, along with every other part of the economy, is viewed as a cash provider to subsidise the primary sector.

“We asking for more of a fair go: if the purpose of this tax is to protect horticulturalists in particular, then surely they should foot the bill.”

“Our message to the government is that if you keep piling costs on to an industry that is still struggling to get back to pre-recession levels then businesses will start to fold. And that benefits nobody,” Mr Baines says.

ENDS

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