A fresh push for a nationwide bed tax has been launched by Regional Tourism New Zealand.  

Its proposal would see a small, user-pays tax for stays at hotels and Airbnbs, with the money going toward events and tourism infrastructure.  

The plan has the backing of several mayors including those of Auckland, Rotorua and Queenstown.  

Regional Tourism New Zealand Chair Andrew Wilson Mike Hosking that none of them want to see tourism growth curtailed, which means any charge needs to be modest. 

He says part of the reason they’re calling for a single national approach is so guardrails can be put in place to make sure the charge remains modest over time. 

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