Travel and cruise industry stakeholders have welcomed the news that the government plans to reduce levies on cruise passengers from next Jul.
“The levy system is working as intended. Where forecast costs support a lower rate, travellers should receive that benefit,” says Customs Minister Casey Costello.
“Cruise passengers will pay less, while Customs continues to provide secure and efficient border services.”
From 01 Jul the Border Processing Levy for arriving cruise passengers will lower from $27.14 to $7.20, while the levy for outgoing passengers will increase by three cents per person.
The move has also been announced early in a bid to engage with sector stakeholders. “Providing early notice of future levy settings helps the travel and tourism sectors plan ahead before the new rates take effect next year,” Costello says.
Jacqui Lloyd (pictured), ceo of New Zealand Cruise Association, says the new levy is fantastic news, with the funds ‘reducing now to where they need to be’. “It will be incredibly welcome; the cruise lines as you know book and plan two to three years in advance and this gives us certainty for the next three and a half years.”
There’s also more positivity about the cruise industry’s relationship with Customs going ahead, with Lloyd saying it has indicated to NZCA that it will work with the industry earlier to ensure that the next levy rate that is put in place is done with good consultation and in good time for the cruise lines to plan and book for the future.
“I think over the last two years we’ve seen an enormous amount of collaboration with both Customs and MPI, and Maritime New Zealand,” she says. “We’re really welcoming the work and the collaboration that those agencies are doing with industry.”
. . . Air Up, Just
At the same time, new Border Processing Levy rates for air travellers (technically, non-cruise travellers) will result in an overall increase of 32 cents per passenger.
“This reflects a decrease in the rate for departing air travellers, combined with a small increase for arriving passengers,” Costello adds.
The new rates set by the comptroller of Customs will apply from 01 Jul and Customs says they ‘better reflect forecast passenger volumes and the expected costs of providing border services’.
