IVL funding to upgrade toilets in tourism hotspots

The Government is investing $3.8 million through the International Visitor Levy to improve public toilet facilities in the Mackenzie and Queenstown Lakes districts.

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says the funding will support new and upgraded amenities in two of New Zealand’s busiest visitor destinations, where visitor numbers place significant pressure on infrastructure funded by local ratepayers.

“Local communities shouldn’t be left to carry the full cost of facilities used by visitors from across New Zealand and around the world.”

Upston says the investment supports the principle that international visitors should contribute towards the infrastructure they use through the IVL.

The Government says reinvesting levy revenue into tourism infrastructure will help councils provide cleaner, more reliable public facilities while supporting communities that host large numbers of domestic and international visitors.