The country has long been famous for its enchanting landscapes and adventure tourism offers such as bungee jumping and skiing. Prior to the spread of COVID-19, more than three million tourists visited each year, accounting for 20 percent of New Zealand’s foreign income and more than 5 percent of the total economy. But international tourism stopped altogether in early 2020, as New Zealand imposed some of the toughest border restrictions in the world. Border rules remained in place as the government initially pursued an eradication strategy and then sought to tightly control the spread of the virus. The spread of Omicron and vaccinations in more than 80 per cent of New Zealand’s population of five million have led to the gradual easing of restrictions.

It reopened in Australia last month

New Zealand reopened to tourists from Australia three weeks ago and on Monday in about 60 visa-free countries, including much of Europe. Most tourists from India, China and other non-resigned countries are not allowed to enter. Tourists should be vaccinated and tested for the virus before and after arrival. “Today is a day to celebrate and a great time to reconnect with the world,” said Tourism Minister Stuart Nass. At Auckland Airport, flights carrying tourists began landing early in the morning, coming directly from places such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. New Zealand welcomed tourists from Canada, the United States, Britain, Japan and more than 50 other countries for the first time in more than two years. (Jed Bradley / New Zealand Herald / The Associated Press)
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. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said more than 90,000 people had booked flights to New Zealand in the seven weeks since the reopening was announced and 21 international flights were scheduled to land in Auckland on Monday. “Our tourism industry has strongly felt the effects of the global pandemic and is working hard to prepare,” he said. Ardern said there are no immediate plans to facilitate tests and vaccination requirements for tourists.