The Government will not support the tourism industry in its bid to allow tourists to claim back GST when they leave the country.
Currently, tourists who do not want to pay GST have to shop in registered duty-free stores.
Tourism leaders in Queenstown called on Finance Minister Bill English on Friday to adopt the kind of system in place in other countries, whereby tourists can take their receipts to the airport to claim back tax.
Mr English told those gathered in Queenstown that the Government did not support such a scheme.
He said the GST system needed to remain simple for it to work and he did not believe tourists would stop visiting New Zealand if they had to pay GST.
Ann Lockhart, from the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, says the minister's response was disappointing. She says an easy refund system would be an advantage for the tourism industry.
