Tourists visiting New Zealand are one step closer to being handed a $35 fee at the border.
It comes after the new tourist levy was approved by Cabinet, with the fee set at $35 and expected to raise $80 million a year.
Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis said the legislation would be passed in Parliament mid-2019.
The funds from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is intended to be split between conservation and tourism in New Zealand.
In June, Mr Davis said there would be some exemptions to the tax - most notably Australian citizens, permanent residents and people from most Pacific Island Forum countries.
National's Simon Bridges has voiced opposition to the idea. He acknowledged in June the need for "really strong infrastructure investment in tourism", but the new tourist tax "isn't the way to go", he said.
The National leader said the Government’s tourist tax would go straight to their Beehive coffers. (Source: Other)
"A new tax would simply go straight to the Beehive when they've already got very strong coffers," Mr Bridges said.
"It's entirely unnecessary at this time."
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