The New Zealand government has announced an 88% increase in border processing fees for cruise ship passengers, set to take effect on December 1st.
The fee will rise from NZ$11.48 to NZ$21.54 per passenger.
Cruise Lines International Association Australasia/CLIA Australasia and the New Zealand Cruise Association have expressed strong opposition to both the significant fee increase and the short notice provided to the industry. Most cruise passengers have already paid in full, leaving cruise lines unable to pass the increased costs onto them.
Jacqui Lloyd (New Zealand Cruise Association's CEO) emphasized that cruise lines meticulously plan and budget their operations two to three seasons in advance, making it impossible to accommodate such unexpected cost increases without bearing the financial burden themselves.
Industry trade groups caution that this fee hike could lead major cruise companies to reconsider their operations in New Zealand. The country's cruise tourist numbers are still ~22% lower than pre-COVID levels.
In 2023, NZ's cruise industry faced challenges due to stringent bio-security regulations, which required ship hulls to be free of even the smallest marine organisms. This led to 4 ships being turned away.