近年来新西兰成为了全球游客的热门旅行地，旅游业的空前繁荣促进了新西兰的经济增长，但也使其基础设施紧张不堪，当地人抱怨一度宁静的大自然里充斥着人和垃圾。日前，新西兰政府宣布，将向外国游客征收“旅游税”，来维护基础设施、保护自然环境。

Tourists to New Zealand are set to be stung with a new tax but Australians have been given a free pass.

到新西兰旅游的外国游客又要多准备一笔钱用来交税，澳大利亚人除外。

From late next year, international visitors heading to New Zealand will pay between NZ$25 and NZ$35 to get into the country, the government announced on Friday.

新西兰政府15日宣布，从明年下半年起，来新西兰旅游的外国游客入境将需缴纳25到35新西兰元（合111到156元人民币）的税。

However, Australian citizens and permanent residents, people from Pacific Islands Forum countries and children under two will be exempt.

不过，澳大利亚公民和永久居民、太平洋岛国论坛成员国国民和两岁以内幼童可以免交新税。

The move reflects an ongoing debate within New Zealand about the environmental and infrastructure pressures put on the country by booming tourism growth.

此举反映出新西兰国内关于旅游业兴旺发展对环境和基础设施产生压力的持久争论。

In the year to April, about 3.8 million tourists visited New Zealand, a country with a population of about 4.7 million.

到四月份为止，今年已有约380万外国游客来新西兰旅游，新西兰本国人口约为470万。

Of those, the biggest group were Australians, making up 39%, or nearly 1.5m visits.

赴新西兰旅游人数最多的是澳大利亚人，近150万人次到访，占39%。

The conservation minister, Eugenie Sage, said she hoped visitors would understand.

新西兰环保部部长尤金妮娅·塞吉说，她希望游客能够理解。

“It’s only fair that they make a small contribution so that we can help provide the infrastructure they need and better protect the natural places they enjoy,” she said.

她说：“每个游客出一点钱，让我们能够维护他们所需的基础设施，更好地保护他们所享受的自然场所，这样才公平。”

The tax is expected to raise up to NZ$80m in the first year, with the money to be split between tourism infrastructure and conservation funding.

第一年所获得的旅游税预计将达到8000万新西兰元，这部分钱将分给旅游基础设施和环保基金。

It will be collected through a newly proposed electronic travel registration process.

旅游税将通过一个新的电子旅游注册程序来征收。

The announcement comes weeks after New Zealand’s government revealed it would double the charge for those staying in huts on some of the country’s most popular hikes.

在宣布旅游税几周前，新西兰政府透露将把部分最热门徒步旅行地的度假屋费用提高一倍。

旅游税并非新西兰首创，来看看还有哪些国家征收或计划征收旅游税：

土库曼斯坦

从2017年8月1日开始，土库曼斯坦境内居住在宾馆和私人住宅的外国公民和无国籍人士每天缴纳2美元的旅游税。

博茨瓦纳

博茨瓦纳于2017年6月1日起向所有入境博茨瓦纳的旅客（不含南部非洲发展共同体国家护照持有者和博茨瓦纳本国公民）征收“旅游发展税”。每人每次30美元。

日本

日本打算面向从日本离境的商务人士和访日外国游客每人征收1000日元（约合人民币58元）的“国际观光旅客税”，计划从2019年1月起施行。

马来西亚

马来西亚计划向外国游客征收10令吉的旅游税，或将于8月1日起实施。