There are concerns the international visitor levy could be raised too high.

The Government's being warned $273 million dollars of visitor spending is on the line.

Consultation is open on whether the $35 fee should be raised to $50, $70 or $100.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa CEO Rebecca Ingram told Mike Hosking visa fees have recently gone up, and they don't want to see tourists being scared off by additional costs.

She says someone who requires a visa and the visitor levy would be paying $500 before entering New Zealand.

LISTEN ABOVE

There are concerns the international visitor levy could be raised too high. 
The Government's being warned $273 million dollars of visitor spending is on the line. 
Consultation is open on whether the $35 fee should be raised to $50, $70 or $100. 
Tourism Industry Aotearoa CEO Rebecca Ingram told Mike Hosking visa fees have recently gone up, and they don't want to see tourists being scared off by additional costs. 
She says someone who requires a visa and the visitor levy would be paying $500 before entering New Zealand. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.

Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more.

The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.

Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Rebecca Ingram: Tourism Industry CEO on the concerns with raising the international visitor levy too high

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.



Migration: 3/10

We are still leaving in record numbers. Young New Zealanders deciding this ain’t the place for them. It is a startling and ongoing indictment.



Oil: 6/10

That’s a good thing too. Between the price and the dollar, it's trended in the right direction. Fill your boots.



The NFL season: 8/10

Continues to get bigger globally every year. I'm obsessed with it. It is elite sport at its best.



The IRD: 3/10

Taking our stuff and flicking it off to big tech without asking us is dumb and rude and needs stopping.



Australian rules: 3/10

Governments pretending they can solve problems that haven't been solved anywhere is wasteful. If Australia successfully bans kids from social media I'll eat Rawiri Waititi's hat.



Donald Trump: 2/10

He is his own worst enemy.



LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. 
 
Migration: 3/10 
We are still leaving in record numbers. Young New Zealanders deciding this ain’t the place for them. It is a startling and ongoing indictment. 
 
Oil: 6/10 
That’s a good thing too. Between the price and the dollar, it's trended in the right direction. Fill your boots. 
 
The NFL season: 8/10 
Continues to get bigger globally every year. I'm obsessed with it. It is elite sport at its best. 
 
The IRD: 3/10 
Taking our stuff and flicking it off to big tech without asking us is dumb and rude and needs stopping. 
 
Australian rules: 3/10 
Governments pretending they can solve problems that haven't been solved anywhere is wasteful. If Australia successfully bans kids from social media I'll eat Rawiri Waititi's hat. 
 
Donald Trump: 2/10 
He is his own worst enemy. 
 
LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW

Mark the Week: Donald Trump is his own worst enemy

Is it possible one of the great mistakes of the modern era has been made around our cities?

There are increasing areas of life in which the theory, the promise, or the dream is not only not coming to pass, but it's possible it never will

The EV industry globally is in a major state of flux. Any number of large producers have not only promised to stop selling engines by 2030-ish, they’ve now realised that’s not real so have had to back track. But they've also realised that all the money they didn’t spend on the next generation of engines has been lost and they now have to fill the gap.

Renewables are in a similar place. Larry Ellison this week told investors AI is so crazy when it comes to power consumption that they are building a data centre that will be run by three small nuclear reactors.

The world largely doesn’t have such reactors right now and it certainly doesn’t have the renewable capability to run data centres.

Then to downtown New Zealand. Reform of city centres was predicated on several theories; essentially, we wanted to save the planet while living like Europe.

What we have ended up with is downtown Auckland, downtown Tauranga, and downtown Wellington all, if not destroyed, certainly in a state no one is proud of.

As the bike lanes, bus lanes, and lack of parking has taken its toll, the businesses have closed, people have gone home to never come back, the malls have popped up in suburbia, and the CBD is shot to pieces.

We weren't Europe, aren't Europe, and never will be Europe.

Do we live in an age where the concept of the illusion, of what could be, is driven by the bandwagon of the day? Something the ideologues leap on board, with no real insight as to what might actually be required for it to come to pass?

It's driven by good intention but appalling planning, urged on by NGO's and the like who need a buzz phrase or agenda to keep pushing to maintain relevance and, often, funding. People who want to be on the perceived right side of the hot new trend, and it all comes at a huge cost.

These so-called downtown areas of tomorrow. Just when is tomorrow? When is Wellington going to be the pedestrian magnet, the cobbled hub?

When does Auckland wear itself out with all the new outlets opening in Queen Street?

When does Tauranga cut its umpteenth ribbon on the mecca that is the revitalised CBD, drawing fans from near and far?

Or was it simply a good picture on a whiteboard that will never in fact happen?

Is it possible one of the great mistakes of the modern era has been made around our cities? 
There are increasing areas of life in which the theory, the promise, or the dream is not only not coming to pass, but it's possible it never will 
The EV industry globally is in a major state of flux. Any number of large producers have not only promised to stop selling engines by 2030-ish, they’ve now realised that’s not real so have had to back track. But they've also realised that all the money they didn’t spend on the next generation of engines has been lost and they now have to fill the gap. 
Renewables are in a similar place. Larry Ellison this week told investors AI is so crazy when it comes to power consumption that they are building a data centre that will be run by three small nuclear reactors. 
The world largely doesn’t have such reactors right now and it certainly doesn’t have the renewable capability to run data centres. 
Then to downtown New Zealand. Reform of city centres was predicated on several theories; essentially, we wanted to save the planet while living like Europe. 
What we have ended up with is downtown Auckland, downtown Tauranga, and downtown Wellington all, if not destroyed, certainly in a state no one is proud of. 
As the bike lanes, bus lanes, and lack of parking has taken its toll, the businesses have closed, people have gone home to never come back, the malls have popped up in suburbia, and the CBD is shot to pieces. 
We weren't Europe, aren't Europe, and never will be Europe. 
Do we live in an age where the concept of the illusion, of what could be, is driven by the bandwagon of the day? Something the ideologues leap on board, with no real insight as to what might actually be required for it to come to pass? 
It's driven by good intention but appalling planning, urged on by NGO's and the like who need a buzz phrase or agenda to keep pushing to maintain relevance and, often, funding. People who want to be on the perceived right side of the hot new trend, and it all comes at a huge cost. 
These so-called downtown areas of tomorrow. Just when is tomorrow? When is Wellington going to be the pedestrian magnet, the cobbled hub? 
When does Auckland wear itself out with all the new outlets opening in Queen Street? 
When does Tauranga cut its umpteenth ribbon on the mecca that is the revitalised CBD, drawing fans from near and far? 
Or was it simply a good picture on a whiteboard that will never in fact happen?

Mike's Minute: The ideology for our cities will never be reality

For the first time ever, civilians have stepped out into space.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman and company crew trainer Sarah Gillis have achieved the first commercial spacewalk outside their SpaceX capsule while in orbit.

The pair were testing new spacesuits, designed to be low-cost and easy-to-manufacture for future missions flying to the Moon or Mars.

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the mission is likely to have tallied into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

LISTEN ABOVE

For the first time ever, civilians have stepped out into space. 
Billionaire Jared Isaacman and company crew trainer Sarah Gillis have achieved the first commercial spacewalk outside their SpaceX capsule while in orbit. 
The pair were testing new spacesuits, designed to be low-cost and easy-to-manufacture for future missions flying to the Moon or Mars. 
US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the mission is likely to have tallied into the hundreds of millions of dollars. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Rebecca Ingram: Tourism Industry CEO on the concerns with raising the international visitor levy too high

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