Every little bit helps. Such is the thinking behind a variety of steps currently being considered or implemented, to try to get New Zealand’s struggling tourism industry back on its feet. The idea of incentivising domestic tourism, opening travel bubbles between New Zealand and other ‘safe’ countries, and tasking the government with supporting the sector during these hard times, are all welcome – but many still wonder if these initiatives will be enough in the long run.
Moreover, the health and safety considerations involved in the country’s current cautious approach could lead to more troublesome economic consequences for the nation. Although New Zealanders visiting Australia need not quarantine on arrival, travellers going the other way must go through the entire process. In such an environment, New Zealand’s visitor numbers are understandably low, although Prime Minister Ardern maintains that it is better to be safe than sorry.
Each approval of a travel bubble will be welcome news for New Zealand’s tourism industry, as a step (though often a modest one) toward normalcy. Some are expecting to see an unrestricted travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand by early 2021, while talk of similar bubbles with Pacific Island nations is also underway.
Some countries and territories in Asia are thinking along similar lines, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, and South Korea. While nothing is guaranteed, particularly with the spread of the virus breaking new records in other parts of the globe, a re-alignment of international travel routes along these lines could put in place a scenario in which tourism is restarted in earnest – as much as it can be – even while the risk of spreading the virus remains low.
These initiatives, combined with technology to help those who travel (via tracking apps), and those who cannot (via specially designed AR/VR travel experiences), may be the best we can hope for until a vaccine is found.