Love Taupō Supports New Visitor Charges
Love Taup General Manager Patrick Dault believes the extra funding provided will deliver positive results for regional tourism for both visitors and locals.
Love Taupō supports the Government's announcement of a plan to charge overseas visitors for the privilege of visiting some of New Zealand's most iconic and popular conservation areas.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of four high-visit conservation locations featured in the initial scheme.
Revenue gathered by these visitor charges will go back into Department of Conservation work at the same locations.
Love Taupō General Manager Patrick Dault believes the extra funding provided will deliver positive results for regional tourism for both visitors and locals.
'More money to sustainably manage our treasured conservation estate is a positive for every Kiwi because we all get to benefit from a safe and healthy environment,' Dault says. 'Any investment in improving and developing new infrastructure on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing should be good news for both visitors and local communities as it will ultimately offer an enhanced experience.'
'A large proportion of our international visitors visit the region for the purpose of exploring the Unesco World Heritage Park and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing remains one of the destination drivers.' adds Dault.
'This aligns perfectly with Te Ihirangi — the Taupō Regional Destination Management Plan, a common vision for a more regenerative approach to tourism. It puts people and place, communities and the environment first, ensuring tourism adds true value to the destination.'
The watchout for the tourism sector, he said, would always be the challenge of keeping costs within the reach of visitors. While a small extra charge might not be much for some market segments, it could represent a deterrent for a different group.
The Government is looking initially at applying charges to four locations: Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Cathedral Cove/Te Whanganui-a-Hei, the Milford Track and Aoraki/Mount Cook. Foreign visitors account for up to 80% of visitors to these places.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said the charges would range from $20 to $40 per person, with the goal of raising up to $62 million per year to be reinvested directly into those same areas. Entry for New Zealanders would remain free.
Up to 105,000 visitors used some, or all, of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in the 2023/24 season (1 October 2023 to 8 April 2024), according to the Department of Conservation. Booking data shows that 80% were international visitors. Up to 1500 to 2000 people visited the track on the busiest days.*
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