New Zealand wants travel bridge with Cook Islands, not Australia

New Zealanders want a travel bridge now more than ever – but awkwardly for us, their preferred destination is no longer Australia.

Australians have been living in hope of a travel bubble with New Zealand, but it seems our Kiwi mates are more interested in another Pacific neighbour.

As Australia is set back by worrying outbreaks in Melbourne and Sydney, the Cook Islands have flagged a potential quarantine-free travel bubble with New Zealand could be imminent.

Cook Islands deputy prime minister Mark Brown said on Tuesday he had had “encouraging” discussions with New Zealand authorities about opening a travel bridge between the two countries, which could be announced in as little as a week.

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Now, online traffic and inquiries on Booking.com suggest the Cook Islands are overtaking Australia as New Zealanders’ preferred overseas destination, with resorts on the island of Rarotonga attracting more interest than in Melbourne and Sydney, the New Zealand Herald reports.

The Cook Islands is overtaking Australia as the preferred overseas destination for New Zealanders.

Kiwis’ interest in the Cook Islands has skyrocketed since this time last year, according to Booking.com, and Rarotonga is now just behind the Gold Coast as their top overseas destination.

However, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern hasn’t been drawn on a date for a travel bubble with the Cook Islands.

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“The Prime Minister spoke to the Cook Islands Prime Minister yesterday to convey that she has asked officials to work on timelines for reopening with realm countries,” a spokesman for Ms Ardern told the New Zealand Herald on Tuesday.

“There are no set dates yet, and any speculation at this stage would be very premature. The number one priority will continue to be the safety of both New Zealand and realm countries. No one wishes to be responsible for COVID entering into the Pacific.”

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation said the islands were desperate for quarantine-free travel with New Zealand.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed great interest in a trans-Tasman travel bubble with New Zealand. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

There is growing speculation of a travel bubble between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. Picture: Mark Mitchell/AFP

“New Zealanders comprise two-thirds of our international visitors – and the reality is they may well provide 100 per cent of our visitors for quite some time,” the agency’s Australasian general manager Graeme West said.

“With tourism responsible for over 70 per cent of the nation’s GDP, our economy has been decimated since we closed our borders in March.

“We know there are many people keen for their annual getaway to the sun and I can assure them they would receive an especially warm Cook Islands welcome. Swimming, snorkelling and cocktails sound pretty good right now.

“The Cook Islands is proud to have remained entirely COVID-free and the government will continue to take every precaution to ensure the safety of its people and visitors.”