National slams bed tax proposal as it launches policy funding council tourism spend
New Zealand's National Party has announced a policy to distribute nearly $400 million in international visitor levy revenue to local councils for tourism infrastructure. The proposal has drawn criticism from coalition partners and sparked debate over the party's stance on potential 'bed taxes'.
Why it matters
The policy highlights ongoing political tensions regarding how to fund regional tourism infrastructure and manage the economic impact of international visitors.
National is tearing strips off the bed tax proposal it explored in Government, while also using its plan to fund council tourism spending to continue attacking the possible taxes under a Labour-led coalition.
Meanwhile, the party’s coalition partners are directing their own jabs at National. Act leader David Seymour claimed National’s policy takes from Act, and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters accused it of rearranging future Budgets for a “convenient campaign slogan”.
National leader Christopher Luxon, with finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis and tourism spokeswoman Louise Upston, today announced the party would take almost $400 million over four years from international visitor levy revenue and share it proportionally with councils for tourism spending.
Luxon said National, if elected, would distribute $86m in the 2027/28 financial year, rising to $106m in 2030/31, to councils based on the number of guest nights their region hosted.
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