The New Zealand government is pushing to impose entrance fees for foreign visitors at some famous natural attractions. The fee is expected to be up to 40 New Zealand dollars (about 33,000 won) and will likely take effect from 2027.
According to Bloomberg on the 5th (local time), the New Zealand government plans to introduce entrance fees at four tourist sites: Milford Sound, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Aoraki Mount Cook, and Cathedral Cove. All are public tourist sites managed by New Zealand's Department of Conservation, where a high percentage of visitors are foreign tourists. For Milford Sound, about 1.1 million people visit each year, 90% of whom are foreigners.
New Zealand already imposes an entry tax of 100 New Zealand dollars (about 82,000 won) and accommodation fees for the trekking routes known as "Great Walks." However, concerns about overtourism and aging infrastructure have intensified, leading to a desire to introduce a more direct cost burden structure. This is due to the surge in tourist demand, which has caused some attractions to exceed their capacity and overload facilities.
The New Zealand government expects to generate approximately 62 million New Zealand dollars (about 5.6 billion won) in revenue from the introduction of this fee for foreign tourists, intending to reinvest the entire amount into conservation and infrastructure improvements. New Zealand's tourism sector is significant, ranking second in its exports behind dairy products, and there have been ongoing calls to balance quality control in tourism with environmental protection.
David Simons, an honorary professor at Lincoln University, noted, "New Zealand citizens already contribute to the operation of the Department of Conservation through general taxes, but foreigners do not."
Many countries already implement a 'dual pricing system' for foreigners. Major attractions like India's Taj Mahal, Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, and Peru's Machu Picchu charge separate entrance fees for foreigners, while a new theme park called 'Junglia' in Okinawa, Japan, has also recently introduced a fee for foreign visitors. In the United States, President Donald Trump recently directed that entrance fees for national parks be differentiated for foreigners.
Some observers express concern that this move could actually dampen foreign tourist demand. Industry insiders emphasize that if new fees are added on top of the entry tax, accommodation fees, and transportation costs, it could create a heavy psychological burden, insisting that the entire fee structure should be integrated when designing policy.
There are also calls for the introduction of flexible operating methods based on overseas examples, such as online reservation systems or tourism pass systems, especially in mountainous areas or pristine forests where it is difficult to set up ticket booths.
The New Zealand government has stated that it will finalize specific implementation plans through additional discussions on the method of fee collection and the final amount. A government official said, "We will refer to various effective overseas operational cases to build a practical fee system."