Cook Islands. Photo: Cook Islands Tourism
Kiwis will be able to visit the Cook Islands from May 17 without being quarantined in either country, with the islands tourism authority hoping the bubble can be expanded to Australia in the near future.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the start date for the long-awaited two-way travel bladder without quarantine on Monday – two weeks before inflation.
“The Cook Islands are in a stronger position to prevent, detect and manage a potential COVID-19 outbreak, which means that now a two-way travel bubble can go on,” she said.
“A green travel zone between the Cooks and New Zealand will allow families to reconnect, resume commercial arrangements and resume tourism in the Cooks. All of this will boost the Cook Island economy and help the country recover from the effects of COVID-19. “
However, if the Cooks experience a COVID-19 outbreak, kiwis are more likely to have to return to New Zealand immediately.
“As in the case of Australia, the bubble comes with a flyer, be careful: if there is an outbreak in New Zealand, flights are likely to be suspended. Additionally, our plan is more if there is an outbreak in the Cooks.” explicit. “
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Arden said the government would take a “very cautious approach” to any outbreak in the Cooks.
“So instead of asking everyone to seek refuge like in Australia, we’d rather bring our people home. We believe this is necessary to ease pressure on the Cook Islands and to minimize the further spread of the virus.
Australians have been able to travel freely to New Zealand since April 18. A. Loophole in the tran-Tasmanian travel bubble means that Australians traveling to New Zealand are not prevented from traveling on to a third country.
But the Australians shouldn’t be packing their bags for the Cook Islands just yet. Australia Health Secretary Greg Hunt amended biosecurity law to try Close the gap, who announced heavy fines for Australians who, on their return, could not justify their trip for compassionate or urgent medical reasons.
However, Graeme West, Cook Islands Tourism Corporation’s general manager for Australasia, hopes there will soon be a travel bubble between Australia and the Cook Islands.
“Getting the New Zealand / Cook Islands bubble is the first step in our reopening, but as you will hope we are very keen to see this extended to our Australian neighbors as soon as possible,” he said.
Air New Zealand will be flying to Rarotonga two to three times a week with Boeing 787-9s from May 17th. From June 7th to 27th, the airline will fly to the Cooks three to four times a week.
To be eligible to travel, customers must have stayed in New Zealand for at least 14 days. Screening questions will be asked at check-in and passengers must wear face masks on board.
Air New Zealand chief Greg Foran predicted the Cook Islands will be popular with kiwis “looking for a warm break and some relaxation.”
“We know it’s a popular travel destination because in 2019, out of 446,000 kiwis who made a trip to the Pacific Islands, nearly 110,000 went to Rarotonga,” he said.
Mr West said the Cook Islanders would greet their first international visitors in more than a year “with open arms and big smiles”.
“Kiwis are always welcomed very warmly and I think this will be even more evident when the kiwis return to our tropical paradise. We will do everything we can to give people a fantastic vacation. We are ready to go and showcase all that.” possible we are known for our warm tropical weather, breathtaking natural beauty, friendliness and hospitality and our great food. “
Kiwis traveling to see the chefs are encouraged to use the country’s new contact tracking app, CookSafe +, which is compatible with New Zealand’s COVID tracer app.
“The Cook Islands Tourism Corporation also made a Cook Islands Pledge, a short list of what is required to keep residents and visitors safe,” West said.
For information on the promise, see www.cookislands.travel.
Flight Center executive director David Coombes predicted that most of the agency’s bookings for travel to the Cooks would come from vacationers.
“Customers are confident traveling to the Cook Islands as the risk is seen as similar to domestic travel in Aotearoa. We have taken a number of vacation bookings and the July school vacation is selling well.”
Last month, Ardern and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown confirmed that both countries are working towards a quarantine-free travel arrangement in both directions by May.
A quarantine-free one-way trip from the Cook Islands to New Zealand has been possible since January.
The start of the bubble is subject to final controls that include airport readiness, all policies and frameworks in place, and final approval from Health Director General Ashley Bloomfield.
With Stuff.co.nz
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