Flights carrying tourists began landing at Auckland Airport early Monday morning, coming directly from places such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The tourist hotspot eventually pulled most of the remaining pandemic restrictions across its borders, as its strict COVID policies allowed it to escape the worst of the virus – keeping cases and deaths relatively low compared to many other countries. New Zealand, known for its stunning scenery and adventure tourism offerings such as bungy jumping and skiing, welcomed more than three million tourists each year before the pandemic struck. Tourism used to account for about 20% of New Zealand’s foreign income and more than 5% of the country’s total economy. However, international tourism stopped altogether in early 2020, as New Zealand imposed some of the harshest border restrictions in the world due to the global virus epidemic. Border rules remained in place as the Jacinda Ardern government initially pursued an eradication strategy before imposing measures to strictly control the spread of the virus. The easing of restrictions came after the spread of Omicron as well as vaccinations of more than 80% of the country’s population of five million. Three weeks ago, New Zealand reopened to tourists from Australia and on Monday in about 60 visa-free countries, including much of Europe. Most travelers from India, China and other countries who have not resigned are not yet allowed to enter. Image: Jacinda Ardern government imposes some of the harshest measures in the world on COVID to control the virus Read more: New Zealanders who could not go home to the COVID lockdown win case against government Before arriving in New Zealand, tourists must provide proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test. “Today is a day to celebrate and a great time to reconnect with the world,” said Tourism Minister Stuart Nass. Opening the borders will help boost tourism in view of New Zealand’s upcoming ski season. But the real test of how much the tourism industry will recover will come in December, when the peak summer season begins in the Southern Hemisphere country.
