April 07, 2021
Australian bubble set to go
Māori tourism operators will be dusting off the hāngi stones in anticipation of the return of tourists from Australia.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday announced quarantine-free travel between New Zealand and Australia will start on Monday April 19.
She says because of the progress both countries have made in managing the pandemic, they can confidently and safely open up the border.
"Australians prior to Covid made up about 40 percent of our tourists. That meant about $2.7 billion of spending in New Zealand. That's going to take some time to build that back. I imagine initially what we will see is a lot of family and friends coming back, but what we want to see at the same time is people coming over for a break and a bit of an experience here," Ms Ardern says.
Those undertaking travel will need to plan for the possibility of having travel disrupted if there is an outbreak of Covid-19.
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