New Zealand will make it easier to run businesses in conservation areas

(Reuters) - New Zealand will make it easier to run businesses in conservation zones and charge foreign tourists to enter some areas in an effort to create jobs and increase economic growth, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Saturday.

The decision by the centre-right government, elected in 2023, is part of its efforts to boost New Zealand's tourism industry and stimulate a limp economy.

It also comes at a time when people in countries around the world are protesting what they see as excessive numbers of tourists.

"We're going to fix the Conservation Act to unleash a fresh wave of concessions – like tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure, in locations where that makes sense," Luxon said in a statement.

Business activities from guided walks and skiing to livestock grazing and infrastructure construction already take place in conservation areas, but permission takes too much time and effort to obtain, he said.

"Unleashing economic growth on one-third of New Zealand's land will create jobs and increase wages across the country," the statement said.

Foreign visitors will also be charged between NZ$20 and NZ$40 ($12-$24) to access some popular sites, while locals will continue to go free.

"Tourists make a massive contribution to our economy, and no one wants that to change. But I have heard many times from friends visiting from overseas their shock that they can visit some of the most beautiful places in the world for free," said Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.

(Reporting by Peter Hobson in Canberra; Editing by William Mallard)