Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday that New Zealand will soon end its strict border controls as the country’s world-leading pandemic response has made it “a safer place to travel”.
“We are ready to welcome back into the world,” Ardern told reporters.
“I am proud that New Zealand is a country that has been able to provide a safe place for our tourists to return at this time.”
Ardern said vaccinated Australians can travel without quarantine or self-isolation from April instead of the originally planned July date. Travelers from countries that have visa-free arrangements with New Zealand – including major markets in the Northern Hemisphere, Japan, Singapore, Korea and Taiwan – will be allowed to do so from May 1.
Ardern called the change a big boost for New Zealand’s struggling tourism industry.
“We are ready to move safely into a new chapter in our handling of the pandemic, a transition that brings with it huge economic opportunities,” she said.
New Zealand welcomed 3.9 million international arrivals in 2019, but borders were closed in March 2020 as COVID-19 shook the world.
Tourism was New Zealand’s biggest export earner before the pandemic, generating more than NZ$16 billion ($10.9 billion) annually, with 40 percent of holidaymakers coming from Australia.
‘Clean, Green and Safe’
For most of the pandemic, all international arrivals had to undergo a two-week quarantine in government-run hotel facilities patrolled by the military. The controls helped keep the virus out of the community for an extended period of time, but New Zealand is currently experiencing a wave of Omicron-variant infections, with more than 21,000 new cases reported on Tuesday.
However, the population is highly vaccinated, with more than 95 percent double jab and just 117 coronavirus-related deaths recorded in a population of five million. Ardern said New Zealand has one of the lowest mortality rates in the developed world and that its pandemic response will make it attractive to tourists in a competitive international market.
“We are a safe place to travel and New Zealand will be ready with open arms,” she said.
“We will be a sought-after market, now known globally as not only clean and green, but safe as well.” Air New Zealand welcomed the change, saying it was ready to scale up services to meet demand.
“It’s no secret that the past two years have been extremely turbulent for people – there’s a real buzz today,” said Greg Foran, the airline’s chief executive.
“New Zealand holds a special place in the hearts of many, whether they are Kiwis or visitors, touching down on New Zealand soil will be a moment to remember.”
The announcement did not include arrivals from countries such as China and India, where visas are required to visit New Zealand, who currently must isolate themselves for 10 days upon arrival. The requirement is not due to expire until October, but Ardern said the date is likely to be pushed even further.
read all breaking news , today’s fresh news And Ukraine-Russia War Live Updates Here.