New Zealand travel ‘bubble’ with South Australia fuels optimism of post-COVID-19 pandemic tourism boost
A surge of Kiwi interest in state tourism is fuelling optimism a successful New Zealand travel bubble can be our new gateway to the world in a post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
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A surge of Kiwi interest in state tourism is fuelling optimism a successful New Zealand travel bubble can be our new gateway to the world in a post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
Flights between Adelaide and Auckland resumed this week, a fortnight after trans-Tasman quarantine-free travel was allowed between Australia and New Zealand.
Despite travel being suspended between NZ and Sydney until at least Saturday night, authorities are closely monitoring its wider success and whether it can be replicated to other countries.
Major campaigns are also being prepared to target mounting travel “wanderlust”.
But government research in March showed two thirds of “Kiwis are broadly confident to travel as soon as a bubble opens” while three quarters of respondents wanted to holiday in SA.
Air New Zealand, which operates between three and four Auckland-to-Adelaide flights a week, will consider expanding its schedule if demand continues to surge.
SA chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier told a recent business forum how authorities had been investigating the rates of the disease in Pacific Island nations, from which vital fruit pickers had travelled.
She added: “It may be possible for there to be bubbles with those countries in the closer future”.
Federal authorities are also investigating a Singapore bubble.
Prof Spurrier told The Advertiser that QR codes use and being vaccinated “will keep us in the best possible position to make the most of any further travel bubble opportunities”.
She declined to reveal what thresholds needed to be met but said she wanted at least 80 per cent of the population to be vaccinated by October.
The country’s top emergency medical panel, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, on which Prof Spurrier sits, advises the Federal Government on quarantine measures and vaccine thresholds.
“South Australians should be proud that we have all worked together to be in the fortunate position where we can participate in a travel bubble with NZ,” she said.
“As a dual Aussie and Kiwi citizen, I am delighted the Commonwealth deemed it safe to establish the travel bubble with New Zealand as I know how much of a positive impact travel can have on the health and wellbeing of people.”
A spokeswoman for Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said all future bubbles decisions would be based on advice from Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly and the AHPPC, with safety the first concern.
“We are continuing to assess opportunities to open quarantine-free travel with low-risk countries,” she said.
Premier Steven Marshall said his government was “happy to work with” with the Commonwealth “in regards to the opening of any further international travel bubbles from low-risk nations”.
“The safety of South Australians and shielding our economy from the potentially devastating impacts of COVID-19 has been, and remains, our utmost priority during this global pandemic,” he said.
Since the bubble launched on April 19, the South Australian Tourism Commission has recorded an increase of almost a third from KW travellers to its visitor website.
Official data shows New Zealanders made at least 43,000 trips in 2019, pumping more than $45 million into the economy.
The SATC is “ramping up” its advertising and marketing, as is Tourism NZ, which launched a new advert on Thursday just hours before the 48 NSW travel suspension, to exploit Australians’ “pent-up wanderlust”.
SATC chief executive Rodney Harrex said while visiting family and friends was very important, a younger professionals market was emerging from people seeking “quality food, wine and events”.
Mr Harrex said the NZ bubble was “sensational news for our state’s visitor economy and a positive step toward the future safe return of international tourism”.
“Once people see this can be safely done and well managed, we’re expecting confidence to grow and flight numbers increase,” he said.
“The first flight in was a really significant step forward, and one I know South Australian tourism operators are excited to have seen come to fruition.”
Air NZ’s inaugural flight capacity of 214 passengers on Wednesday was nearly two thirds full with travellers, mostly visiting NZ family or friends.
But the airline’s Australian operations general manager, Paul McClean, said serving South Australia, through Adelaide, was a “great opportunity for us to build our network here”.
“At the broad level it’s reconnecting to great countries again, and the ability to travel freely between Australia and New Zealand … is, I think, an incredible thing at this point,” he said.
“We’ve been waiting for it for a long time. We’re both in a position where the countries have the quarantine laws and have everything else under control. So we’re excited to see what this could bring over the next few years.
“It’s a new world for us right now and it means that it means incredible a lot. Australia as a market is very, very important to (the) company.”
A NZ Tourism spokeswoman said its research revealed 98 per cent of Australians were in favour of the bubble as “pent-up wanderlust is at an all-time high”
“We love hosting our closest neighbours – and can’t wait to share the wonders of Aotearoa with visitors once again,” she said.
Nick Hill, the chief executive of Auckland Unlimited, the city’s top economic and cultural agency, said data shows an increased bookings in holidays.
“Many accommodation providers in Auckland are also seeing spikes in interest and bookings from Australia, while the Restaurant Association is also reporting increased demand since the bubble opened,” he said.
IT’S ALL SMILES – UNDER MASKS – ON FIRST FLIGHT
Andrew Hough on board Air NZ Flight 192
FOR the passengers on Air New Zealand Flight 192, it was an emotional journey more than a year in the making.
The 130 travellers had different reasons for flying to Auckland on Wednesday on the airline’s first trip from Adelaide since the trans-Tasman bubble reopened on April 19.
Visiting sick relatives. Being able to hug parents in person. Showing off new babies to grandparents. Or just taking the opportunity to visit home for the first time since the pandemic closed Australia’s borders in March last year.
Passengers on the plane, which was nearly two-thirds full, were all just eager to touch down.
And despite the risk the bubble could be suspended at any time – as witnessed late on Thursday for NSW passengers – and border warnings about hotel quarantine costs, they were happy as the plane took to the skies at 12.34pm.
On board, Kiwi electrician Kane Illingworth, 32, of Morphettville, was excited about “showing off” his 11-month-old daughter, Ivy, with naturopath wife Danni, 30. It was their first trip to Auckland since Christmas 2018.
“It has been such a long time,” he said. Ms Illingworth added: “I am going to cry, his mum is going to cry.”
Retailer worker Pauline Markham, 38, of Angle Park, was visiting her cancer-stricken father in Hamilton, 121 km south of Auckland, with husband Gary, 45, and their children – Kaitlyn, 16, Tyler, 13, and Jayden, 11.
“The bubble makes it a viable option for us to be able to go,” she said.
Eight-year-old Linkin was looking forward to checking out the snacks cupboard at
his nanna’s Auckland home and spending time with NZ-based family.
It was the first time Linkin’s mum Liz Timson, 42, of Marleston, and 13-year-old Denva had been to Auckland for a family catch-up in 15 months.
For the crew, being able to serve customers on an international flight was the first step to returning to normality. But the COVID-19 risk was still ever-present. Masks were mandatory, even while sitting.
Lip-reading was out, with staff – who have been retrained to smile with their eyes – wearing masks emblazoned with the joke: “I’m all smiles under here.”
Flight attendant Julia Broadley-Ryan, 56, said the trip was “very emotional”.
“It is great to see everybody excited to go home, see family, friends,” she said.
“It is going to be a long time before we’re really back to normal, but we are taking small steps.”
The flight was not quite all smooth sailing, with check-in glitches, turbulence and delays at opening gates.
But none of the passengers cared.
After landing at 7.04pm Auckland time, it was a quick march through customs and a temperature check before the final leg through the arrival gates and into the arms of family and friends, tears flowing. Nothing was going to burst this bubble.
* The author travelled as a guest of Air NZ
BANKING ON THE BUBBLE
■ In 2019, a record 43,000 trips were made by New Zealanders to South Australia.
■ Their total spend in SA was more than $45m.
■ Air New Zealand flies every second day between Adelaide and Auckland.
■ Australians made more than 1.5 million trips to New Zealand in 2019; 864,121 visits were to Auckland.
■ 43 per cent visited friends and/or relatives and 28 per cent were on a holiday.
■ Almost a third of NZ travellers were from Australia.
■ 60 per cent of Australians were dreaming of a trip to New Zealand in the first six months of borders reopening.
■ 98 per cent of Australians are in favour of the bubble.
■ NZ modelling shows a $1bn boost from visiting Aussies by the end of the year.
■ NZ anticipates 80 per cent of its Australian market will bounce back by September next year.
Sources: SATC/ Tourism NZ/ Auckland Unlimited
WHAT TO DO IN OUR STATE
■ Following their tastebuds, sampling artisan producers, cellar doors and markets.
■ Cruising the River Murray on a luxury houseboat.
■ Exploring Kangaroo Island’s nature, wildlife and producers.
■ Self drive road trips.
■ Discovering Adelaide’s laneways, arts, culture and events.
WHAT TO DO IN NZ
■ Jet boating in Queenstown.
■ Cycling through vineyards in Central Otago to eating crayfish in Kaikoura.
■ Tour Milford or Doubtful Sounds.
■ Visit beaches on Waiheke Island.
■ Relax at Hanmer Springs, Christchurch.
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