Trans-Tasman travel bubble may expand to Pacific, but won’t be rushed

Australia and New Zealand are forging on with a blueprint for a trans-Tasman travel bubble, but want to make sure it works before welcoming Pacific neighbours in.

Plans to allow travel between Australia and New Zealand to recommence are advancing. Picture: Supplied

The chief executive of the third biggest airport in Australasia says opening a trans-Tasman travel bubble would allow both countries to use their sucess in tackling COVID to springboard into economic recovery.

But despite the strong desire of neighbouring Pacific nations to be part of the bubble plan, a successful initial implementation would be needed before expanding it to other countries, business leaders heard on Wednesday.

Speaking at the trans-Tasman Business Circle, Auckland Airport CEO Adrian Littlewood said the two countries could actually benefit from the slow emergence of global travel, becoming more attractive in the eyes of international tourists who viewed the countries as safe due to their success in suppressing the coronavirus and their quality public health systems.

His views came as the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum worked on a set of plans and protocols to create the much-talked about ‘trans-Tasman bubble’, to put to both Australian and New Zealand governments as soon as June.

Mr Littlewood spoke as part of a trans-Tasman Business Circle panel he shared with Australian company director Ann Sherry, who is also co-chair of the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum.

But Ms Sherry downplayed the likelihood of any bubble being extended to Pacific nations or key Asian countries like Singapore and Taiwan anytime soon, with all stakeholders focused on making the Australia-New Zealand bubble work first.

Mr Littlewood told the panel it was time to turn attention to an economic recovery plan, with both Australia and New Zealand likely to see their tourism potential boosted.

“I think the starting point is we are very fortunate that our two countries in different, slightly different methods, have achieved the same outcome in terms of virus management,” he said.

“So I think the chance here is now to shift from that virus management to now crushing the economic curve, which is the consequence of managing the virus,’’ Mr Littlewood said.

“How do our sectors aviation, tourism, play its part to fill that gap created by the lockdown in the last little while?”

A planning process examining ways in which trans-Tasman travel could safely re-open is advancing, with a draft to be presented to New Zealand and Australian governments for consideration in early June. Over the past two weeks, a team of 40 experts from both sides of the Tasman have been working to develop a co-ordinated and detailed set of recommendations for the reopening of borders between Australia and New Zealand.

The expert group is considering every aspect of the passenger journey, including the point a person starts to consider a trip across the Tasman, pre-flight health requirements and eligibility, protection on board an aircraft, movement through airports, and contact tracing requirements once people reach their destination.

“I think there is opportunity for our two countries to come out of this with an improved global reputation,” Mr Littlewood said.

“If we are able to get on top of this issue and demonstrate a safe travel zone, border protection and a process that is reliable, and has public confidence, then others will see us as a safe destination.

With travel throughout much of the rest of the world still restructured, Mr Littlewood said he could “see a scenario where we each come through this filling some of that gap that has been created and actually improving our reputation as a place to travel to post a COVID-19 world.”

Ms Sherry the various committees working together at the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum were aware that Pacific nations in particular would love to be included in the proposed trans-Tasman bubble, but said this process could not be rushed.

“They are pushing hard at us, to say to include us,” she said. “But we really want to be disciplined to get it working first, rather than try open up quickly, move too fast and fall over. We prefer to trial it in one market with the confidence of both governments before we open it out further.

“If we can make it work trans-Tasman then we will understand the preconditions, we will understand what is needed, we will understand where the issues pop up.

“So whoever comes in next whoever the next round are can - whether that's in Asia or Pacific - we can be crystal clear what we need to do.”