However, the district council has announced the provisional turnout for the non-binding postal vote, which ended at noon yesterday, as 38%.
The final figure will be higher, as the provisional number does not include special votes or many votes hand-delivered just before voting closed.
Mayor Jim Boult said a 30% response for a non-binding referendum was considered ''strong''.
''The final count is still under way, and I am very much looking forward to seeing the result and sharing it with the community.''
The referendum only needs 50%-plus approval to be passed up to the Government for consideration, but Mr Boult said last month he wanted ''very strong'' community support.
Set at 5%, the levy would apply to all accommodation providers - including peer-to-peer platforms like Airbnb - and raise an estimated $22.5million a year at current visitor numbers.
That revenue was ''desperately needed'' to fund the infrastructure necessary to maintain Queenstown as a premier international destination, Mr Boult said.
