Quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand
The news of the Trans-Tasman bubble announced by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a positive step in New Zealand’s international tourism recovery.
The residents of Australia and New Zealand will be able to travel between the two countries without having to quarantine from 19 April.
Both countries have been working hard to keep the cases out and eliminate the spreading with the borders closed since March last year. As the cases have been kept to near zero, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the conditions for starting to open up quarantine free travel with Australia have been met.
Ms Ardern said: “The Director-General of Health considers the risk of transmission of COVID-19 from Australia to New Zealand is low and that quarantine free travel is safe to commence.”
According to Tourism New Zealand, before COVID-19, Australians made up almost 40% of international arrivals to New Zealand and contributed around 24% or $2.7 billion of New Zealand’s annual international visitor spend. It is expected that the first returning to New Zealand will be those reconnecting with family and friends but tourism New Zealand is ready to attract Australian tourists again.
The travellers eligible to travel to or from New Zealand on a quarantine-free flight, must not have had a positive COVID-19 test result in the previous 14-day period and must not be awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test taken during that period.
On arrival, passengers will be taken through the “green zones” at the airport in order not to be in contact with anyone arriving from other parts of the world that are considered high risk.
Travellers with cold or flu symptoms will not be allowed to travel, and each passenger must wear a mask and give details to New Zealand authorities of where they will be staying.
The travellers are reminded to be prepared for disruptions or last-minute changes in case there is an outbreak.
The Australian government welcomed the announcement as it will boost the tourism industry as 18 % of all international air arrivals are from New Zealand annually.
Australia’s national carrier Qantas said to operate up to 122 return flights per week across the Tasman on 15 routes with two new routes direct from Auckland to Cairns and the Gold Coast from 19th April.
Air New Zealand will be flying between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown and eight of its Australian airports.
This travel bubble is believed to help to resume travelling safely between these two countries and to help the recovery of international tourism and educational travel in the time to come.
