In 2008, the council proposed to introduce the rate from 2009-10.
It would see some of the cost of tourism development and visitor information services shifted to designated businesses which benefited from tourism.
At present, those costs are spread across all ratepayers, 50% based on land value and 50% on capital value.
Some ratepayers, particularly farmers, asked why they should be paying for tourism costs when they did not benefit directly.
The council proposed shifting some of the cost through a tourism rate on to about 160 designated businesses throughout the district, including accommodation places, bars, liquor outlets, service stations, those with food licences and others targeting visitors.
That led to a protest meeting attended by about 80 people in January 2009.
The council deciding to defer its introduction until the 2011-12 financial year, in the meantime doing further work on the new rate and consulting businesses.
However, at its meeting on Tuesday, the council decided to defer the rate for another year - to the 2012-13 financial year.
Strategy group manager Richard Mabon said the council had given a pledge to affected businesses it would carry out further consultation on the new rate.
For various reasons, that consultation had not taken place.
The status quo should remain for another 12 months and the issue of a tourism rate be addressed as part of the financing and revenue policy in the long term council community plan, he said.
