New Zealand is fully reopening its borders and waiting for visitors to slowly return

This content was published on August 01, 2022 – 04:01
01 August 2022 – 04:01

(AFP)

New Zealand’s borders will be fully reopened on Monday, although international visitor and student arrivals are still expected to be measured following the lifting of Covid travel restrictions.

The final phase of the reopening of borders began at midnight local time (13:00 GMT) on Sunday, with the approval of visa applications for sea crossings and all foreign visitors.

If anything, Tourism New Zealand CEO Rene de Monchy expects business to recover slowly compared to pre-pandemic levels.

“International tourism is expected to take time to return as people around the world gain confidence to travel,” he told AFP.

“Tourism New Zealand is working hard to stimulate visits from key markets to revive tourism and support the country’s economy.”

Tourism, including cruise lines, is expected to have its first arrivals in Auckland in mid-August, and international students are major contributors to New Zealand’s economy.

Before Covid-19, tourism spending generated $25.7 million for the exchequer in the 12 months to March 2020.

During the same period, tourism directly contributed $16,400 million to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), equivalent to 5.5%.