Jacinda Ardern https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/tag/jacinda-ardern/ Informing, connecting and developing the world’s travel industry professionals. Tue, 04 Apr 2023 09:16:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 New Zealand to reopen in phases, starting with travellers from visa-free nations https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/new-zealand-to-reopen-in-phases-starting-with-travellers-from-visa-free-nations/ Tue, 08 Feb 2022 01:00:00 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=685917 The post New Zealand to reopen in phases, starting with travellers from visa-free nations appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

Mt Cook, New Zealand

New Zealand will reopen its borders in phases after having closed for two years due to the Covid-19 outbreak

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Mt Cook, New Zealand

Mt Cook, New Zealand

New Zealand will reopen its borders in phases after having closed for two years due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Jacinda Ardern said that tourists from Australia and other visa-free countries will only be allowed in by July and travellers from the rest of the world will be kept out until October under the plan. All travellers would still have to self-isolate for 10 days, Ardern said.

Foreign vaccinated backpackers and some skilled workers can come to the country beginning March 13, while up to 5,000 international students will be allowed to enter from April 12.

Vaccinated New Zealanders in Australia can travel home from February 27 without a requirement to stay at state-managed quarantine facilities, while New Zealand citizens in the rest of the world will be able to do so two weeks later, Ardern said.

Opening borders in a managed way would allow people to reunite and help fill workforce shortages while ensuring the healthcare system could manage an expected increase in cases, she stated. “Our strategy with Omicron is to slow the spread, and our borders are part of that,” she told a business audience in Auckland.

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New Zealand Announces Border Opening After Taliban Helps Abandoned Pregnant Kiwi https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/new-zealand-announces-border-opening-after-taliban-helps-abandoned-pregnant-kiwi/ Mon, 07 Feb 2022 00:34:32 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=685882 The post New Zealand Announces Border Opening After Taliban Helps Abandoned Pregnant Kiwi appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

With her announcement, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put an end to a humiliating week that saw a pregnant Kiwi journalist stranded outside the nation seeking help from the Taliban by announcing that her country would begin reopening its borders at the end of February.

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With her announcement, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put an end to a humiliating week that saw a pregnant Kiwi journalist stranded outside the nation seeking help from the Taliban by announcing that her country would begin reopening its borders at the end of February.

“With omicron’s arrival, we pushed that change in border settings out – to give ourselves the chance to roll out boosters – a chance most other countries never had,” Ardern said to explain why the border reopening was suddenly delayed.

“With our community better protected, we must turn to the importance of reconnection. Families and friends need to reunite. Our businesses need skills to grow, and exporters need to travel to make new connections,” she said.

Ardern referred to the Charlotte Bellis controversy; the misery of a pregnant journalist attracted unwanted attention to the overburdened and slow-moving MIQ lottery system, which allows only a handful of New Zealand citizens to enter their own country each month.

The New Zealand Government has set entry dates to allow fully vaccinated New Zealanders to return home without going through the hotel quarantine process. The New Zealand border will reopen to vaccinated New Zealanders from Australia on February 27 at 11:59 p.m. and the rest of the globe on March 13.

Following the first two reopening dates, New Zealand will enable current offshore temporary visa holders who meet the applicable visa conditions to enter the country beginning Tuesday, April 12, 2022.

Double-jabbed Australians will be able to enter New Zealand as tourists under Step Four of the gradual reopening plan, which is currently scheduled to take place “no later than.” July, on the other hand, will have to self-isolate upon arrival. There is no specific date as of yet.

Other travellers from “no-visa nations” and those arriving under the “Accredited Employer Work Visa category” will also be given entrance under Step Four.

Step Five, scheduled for October 2022, will see the total reopening of international borders to all visa categories, including tourists from all across the world.

The declaration last week comes after the New Zealand government already broke its promise to begin reopening its borders in mid-January. Today’s statement provides some solace to stranded New Zealanders and the airlines that expect to transport them home.

This decision gives Air New Zealand a much-needed boost, as the most recent passenger traffic figures show that in November 2021, the airline flew approximately 7,000 passengers on trans-Tasman and regional South Pacific flights, around 3,000 passengers to and from North America, and a further 1,000 passengers to and from Asia.

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New Zealand announces reopening to tourists in April https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/new-zealand-announces-reopening-to-tourists-in-april/ Thu, 25 Nov 2021 00:00:25 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=681911 The post New Zealand announces reopening to tourists in April appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

New Zealand has announced it will reopen borders to visitors vaccinated against Covid-19 in the opening months of 2022

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New Zealand has announced it will reopen borders to visitors vaccinated against Covid-19 in the opening months of 2022. It will be the first time the country has been open to travellers since prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced a snap closure in the first month of the pandemic last year.

The move comes as the country moves away from a ‘zero-Covid-19’ strategy and begins cautiously reopening to the world. The border will initially open to New Zealand citizens and visa holders coming from Australia, then from the rest of the world. Finally the country will welcome all other vaccinated visitors from the end of April.

Guests will still have to self-isolate at home for a week, but will no longer have to pass through managed isolation facilities. Ardern also confirmed that residents of Auckland will be able to leave the city from mid-December after months of Covid-19 lockdown travel restrictions. New Zealanders can travel home from Australia without staying in managed isolation from January 17. They can come from all other countries from February 14.

After that, fully vaccinated people, including international tourists, will be able to travel to New Zealand from the end of April. Countries classed as “very high risk” will be excepted from that – at this stage, only Papua New Guinea sits under that designation.

(Source: Reuters)

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New Zealand goes into lockdown https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/new-zealand-goes-into-lockdown/ Thu, 19 Aug 2021 23:56:53 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=675695 The post New Zealand goes into lockdown appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

New Zealand has returned to full lockdown from midnight on Tuesday for the first time since March 2020, now that infection with the delta variant of the coronavirus has been identified.

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New Zealand has returned to full lockdown from midnight on Tuesday for the first time since March 2020, now that infection with the delta variant of the coronavirus has been identified.

It is the country’s first coronavirus infection since February.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the measure at a specially scheduled press conference.

The lockdown will remain in effect for three days across the country and seven days in the country’s largest city, Auckland, where the infection has been identified.

Due to the lockdown, all meetings are cancelled, and public locations are closed.

Schools have also closed their doors.

Only essential shops and services such as supermarkets, pharmacies and petrol stations will remain open.

It is not yet known where the infection came from.

There is currently no evidence that the person in question entered the country infected, local health authorities report.

This would mean that the person has contracted the virus in the country and more people are infected.

New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world where there were hardly any corona measures for a long time.

The strict national lockdown at the start of the pandemic left only 26 people dead from the effects of the virus.

Only 17 percent of the five million inhabitants have been vaccinated, but from September everyone can make an appointment for a shot.

The country has a strict border policy.

Only New Zealanders are allowed to return home but are required to quarantine in a hotel for fourteen days immediately after arrival.

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Bubble burst: Jacinda Ardern suspends New Zealand travel bubble with Australia for at least 8 weeks https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/bubble-burst-jacinda-ardern-suspends-new-zealand-travel-bubble-with-australia-for-at-least-8-weeks/ Fri, 23 Jul 2021 06:35:36 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=674271 The post Bubble burst: Jacinda Ardern suspends New Zealand travel bubble with Australia for at least 8 weeks appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

New Zealand government has announced suspension of travel bubble with Australia for at least eight weeks

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The New Zealand government has announced the suspension of travel bubble with Australia, saying the threat from ongoing Delta COVID-19 outbreaks is now far too great. The suspension will be in place for at least the next eight weeks from today.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Delta variant has materially changed the risk profile. “Now is the time for a suspension to ensure new Zealanders aren’t put at undue risk from COVID-19. Our team of 5 million has worked hard to put us in a strong position — both health wise and economically — and we will not risk that.”

Quarantine-free flights from New Zealand to Australia began in October, and from Australia to New Zealand in April this year. The so-called ‘green zone flights’ allowed travellers to move between the two countries without quarantining at their destination. Flights to New Zealand inside the bubble have been paused and restarted as different Australian states have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks.

The bubble is already closed to travellers flying into New Zealand from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia as those states battle COVID-19 outbreaks.

New South Wales recorded 136 new cases of community transmission in the 24 hours to22 July — the highest number of new daily cases since the outbreak began last month.  Victoria recorded 14 new cases in the same period. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the move was a reasonable one.

For New Zealanders returning home from Australia there are different conditions of entry based on where they have been. Ardern said her government was committed to getting New Zealanders home before the full suspension came into effect.

“For the next seven days we will have managed return flights for New Zealanders from all states and territories. Only New Zealand citizens and those ordinarily resident in New Zealand will be able to fly home,” she added.

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Scott Morrison says pacific travel bubble is “a real possibility” https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/scott-morrison-says-pacific-travel-bubble-is-a-real-possibility/ Tue, 01 Jun 2021 23:51:07 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=671531 The post Scott Morrison says pacific travel bubble is “a real possibility” appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hinted at expanding the trans-Tasman travel bubble to include other Pacific Islands after touching down in New Zealand for talks with his NZ counterpart Jacinda Ardern.

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hinted at expanding the trans-Tasman travel bubble to include other Pacific Islands after touching down in New Zealand for talks with his NZ counterpart Jacinda Ardern.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison touched down in famed ski town Queenstown on Sunday afternoon to hold talks with Ms Ardern for the Australia-New Zealand Leaders Forum.

The visit comes after the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble last month and the Prime Minister hinted at expanding the travel bubble.

“We are very focused on supporting our Pacific family, and the idea of a bubble that goes beyond New Zealand and Australia is a real possibility,” Mr Morrison told reporters.

He spoke to colleagues in the region and noted Fiji was going through a “difficult time” at the moment, but Australia was supporting the nation. The Pacific travel bubble could include destinations such as Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and/or the Solomon Islands.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said he was “excited” and “optimistic” about the possibility of a trans-Pacific travel bubble in the near future but noted the national carrier would require certainty on the start date so it could prepare.

“We have the aircraft, and we have the people,” he said.

“The more bubbles the better, because we can activate more aircraft, get more people back to work and help the tourism industries in the countries that are very dependent on tourism.”

The PM’s comments heap further doubt on the federal government’s earlier plans of a travel bubble arrangement with Singapore coming to fruition, with the Asian neighbour recently hit with a COVID-19 outbreak of its own.

The moment between Ms Ardern and Mr Morrison is politically significant as it is believed to be the first meeting of world leaders without masks in a nation devoid of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

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Authorities confident that NZ bubble will not burst https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/authorities-confident-that-nz-bubble-will-not-burst/ Thu, 22 Apr 2021 23:10:31 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=661328 The post Authorities confident that NZ bubble will not burst appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

An Auckland Airport worker who has tested positive for Covid-19 cleans planes from high-risk "red-zone countries", and had been fully vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.

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An Auckland Airport worker who has tested positive for Covid-19 cleans planes from high-risk “red-zone countries”, and had been fully vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.

The Ministry of Health reported in a statement this afternoon that the person tested positive. It said there was also one historical case.

Speaking more than an hour later, Ardern said the border worker cleaned planes that had come from places with high numbers of Covid-19 cases and carrying people with the coronavirus.

“A very clear link at this stage to cases that are high risk,” she said.

“The reason this person was part of our surveillance testing was because they were working in an area we consider to be high risk. They are coming in contact with the planes that are carrying passengers from high-risk countries and so that is a place where our workers, are in the kinds of roles that means they need to be tested, they need to be vaccinated, but they also need to be thanked for the jobs that they do because of the risk that it carries.”

They were fully vaccinated early on in the campaign and were last tested on 12 and 19 April, she said. Yesterday’s test returned a positive result today.

In a statement this evening, the ministry said 16 close contacts of the airport worker had been identified so far.

The ministry said Auckland Airport was the person’s sole employer, and their role was non-public-facing.

The airport worker was fully vaccinated

Ardern said people can still get Covid-19 after being vaccinated, but it would make them a lot less sick than otherwise. The Pfizer vaccine which is being used in New Zealand provides about 95 percent protection against the virus.

“So, in this case, it is working as intended. This is not a worker who is very unwell and yet they have Covid, so it is doing its job. It doesn’t mean people won’t get it.”

They were fully vaccinated early in the vaccine roll-out, Ardern said. She reiterated people who are vaccinated can still get Covid-19 “but they won’t get sick and they won’t die”.

“That’s what the vaccine is for – it’s to stop the pandemic becoming so dire that we see our hospitals full and people losing their lives. It means the symptom onset is greatly reduced.”

Early data showed it also reduced the likelihood the virus could be passed on to others.

The ministry said breakthrough infections happened with all vaccines.

“This shows us how important it is that as many New Zealanders as possible take up the offer to receive the vaccine when they are offered it and are protected. The more people that are vaccinated, the more protected we will all be.”

No change to trans-Tasman travel bubble

The new case came just one day into the start of a quarantine-free travel bubble for Australia and New Zealand.

Ardern said both countries had expected there would be cases of Covid-19 among border workers while the trans-Tasman bubble was open.

She had not spoken to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison yet but said she would anticipate the border case would not alter the bubble arrangement.

A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Health later confirmed there was as yet no change to travel arrangements in response to the New Zealand border worker with Covid-19.

The person was tested regularly because they worked in an area of high risk, Ardern said.

The bubble

Monday thousands of people flew across the ditch and enter New Zealand after the long-awaited end of mandatory quarantine for Australian travellers.

After almost 400 days, friends and family were reunited in airport arrivals lounges up and down New Zealand and in Australia.

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Kia Ora New Zealand! The two-way travel bubble is a go https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/kia-ora-new-zealand-the-two-way-travel-bubble-is-a-go/ Tue, 06 Apr 2021 23:32:35 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=640681 The post Kia Ora New Zealand! The two-way travel bubble is a go appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

Australians will be able to travel across the ditch without having to quarantine upon arrival or on their return to Australia.

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Finally, after a long wait and several attempts that burst the bubble, the two-way travel corridor between Australia and the land of the long white cloud, get the go. This will mean that Australians will be able to travel across the ditch without having to quarantine upon arrival or on their return to Australia.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed that the trans-Tasman bubble will commence in just under a fortnight from 11:59 pm on Sunday, 18 April.

It was initially anticipated that NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern would announce a two-way trans-Tasman bubble last month. However, the big reveal was pushed back by a couple of weeks, with Ardern telling the media that more time was needed to set up the framework.

“We know what it would mean for people, but we also know that many New Zealanders are nervous,” she said at the time, according to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald.

Australia’s border with New Zealand has been mostly open since October, with a few short suspensions due to small coronavirus outbreaks in Auckland.

New Zealand has delayed opening its border with Australia because of the higher number of COVID-19 cases here. Despite this, federal Opposition Leader Judith Collins had joined calls for New Zealand to allow Aussies to skip the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The decision comes after Australia amended its Biosecurity Act last month, allowing people who have been in Australia for at least 14 days to go to New Zealand without having to apply for an exemption to leave the country.

“I’ll be looking to use the opportunity to take Prime Minister Morrison to an area that has previously enjoyed high levels of international visitors and that we’ll want to put back on the world stage,” Ardern said.

“The New Zealand government is expecting 80 per cent of the volume of pre-pandemic Australian travellers to return by 2022. In 2019, 40 per cent of all air arrivals to New Zealand were Australian, bringing in $NZ 2 billion ($1.8 billion) to the NZ economy.

“This is an exciting day. The trans-Tasman bubble represents the start of a new chapter in our COVID response and recovery one that people have worked so hard for, and this makes New Zealand and Australia relatively unique,” said Ardern.

Ardern said specific flights into Australia could still be suspended if there were local outbreaks and conceded both countries retained the right to close borders at short notice.

Australians flying into New Zealand will be booked on a “green zone flight”, which means there will be no passengers on that flight who have come from anywhere but Australia in the last 14 days, the NZ Prime Minister explained.

Passengers will need to wear a mask while flying, must download the NZ COVID Tracer app for use in New Zealand and will be kept separate in New Zealand airports from passengers from other countries who are headed into hotel quarantine.

Random temperature checks will also be taken of those arriving as an extra precaution.

Airlines had already boosted capacity for flights to New Zealand, with fares falling a result. Prior to the bubble announcement, Qantas offered only a few flights per week, with return trips to Auckland from Sydney costing as much as $1173.

Air New Zealand is offering flights for about $580 return from Sydney to Auckland. The NZ carrier has also announced a substantial increase in flights starting on April 19, with between one and three daily flights between Melbourne and Auckland, and between three and five flights per day from Sydney to Auckland.

In addition, the airline will resume direct flights to Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Qantas meanwhile says it will operate up to 122 return flights per week on the Tasman across 15 routes starting on April 19 – the equivalent of 83 per cent of its pre-COVID capacity.

However, Virgin Australia will not resume flights to New Zealand until October 31, except for a limited number of services to Queenstown from September 18.

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New Zealand not yet ready for two-way travel bubble https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/new-zealand-not-yet-ready-for-two-way-travel-bubble/ Fri, 26 Mar 2021 00:21:03 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=631875 The post New Zealand not yet ready for two-way travel bubble appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

PM Jacinta Ardern has told the press that more time is needed to set up the two-way travel bubble with Australia that has been bursting since October last year.

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PM Jacinta Ardern has told the press that more time is needed to set up the two-way travel bubble with Australia that has been bursting since October last year. 

Speaking to the press at an anticipated announcement, Ardern said that she would reveal a date for the start of quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand on 6 April.

It comes after Australia amended its Biosecurity Act allowing people who have been in Australia for at least 14 days to go to New Zealand without having to apply for an exemption to leave the country.

The move paves the way for two-way travel to begin once both countries come to an agreement.

Ardern clarified that more time was needed to set up the framework of a final agreement between Australia and New Zealand.

She said that, while quarantine-free travel with Australia was a priority for New Zealand, her government would need to proceed with caution.

Ardern said arrangements around contact-tracing of Australian travellers while they are in New Zealand, the costs of managing isolation facilities in case of infection, and airline and airport preparedness would need to be ironed out before quarantine-free travel could begin.

Australia’s border with New Zealand has been mostly open since October, with a few short suspensions, in the likes of South Australia, when there were small coronavirus outbreaks in Auckland.

New Zealand has delayed opening its border with Australia because of the few numbers of COVID-19 cases in Australia which were brought quickly under control. Despite this, federal Opposition Leader Judith Collins has joined calls for New Zealand to allow Aussies to skip the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

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Australia reopens New Zealand travel bubble https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/australia-reopens-new-zealand-travel-bubble/ Sun, 31 Jan 2021 23:00:50 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=573782 The post Australia reopens New Zealand travel bubble appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

After no new COVID-19 cases, Australia reopened its travel bubble with New Zealand on 31 January to mark the resumption of the only international arrivals into Australia

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After no new COVID-19 cases, Australia reopened its travel bubble with New Zealand on 31 January. The neighbouring country has reported no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases but added new screening measures as it marked its longest infection-free run since the outbreak began.

The decision marks the resumption of the only international arrivals into Australia who do not require 14 days in hotel quarantine. Australia had paused quarantine exemptions for trans-Tasman arrivals six days earlier after New Zealand reported its first new case in months.

“Arrivals from New Zealand are now judged to be sufficiently low risk, given New Zealand’s strong public health response to COVID-19,” acting Australian chief medical officer Michael Kidd said.

However, Australia would require screening of travellers from New Zealand before and after flights for the next 10 days, Kidd added, given there is still a small risk of further associated cases being detected and with an abundance of caution.

The resumption came as Australia ended its longest coronavirus-free run of 14 days. Perth was ordered into a lockdown on Sunday after a security guard working in hotel quarantine tested positive for COVID-19. Australia, which has closed its borders to all countries but New Zealand since March 2020, is now planning a vaccination programme starting late February.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had earlier announced in December that her government would look to establish a two-way travel bubble by the end of March.

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Stop being boring and find some creativity, New Zealand tells tourists in new campaign https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/stop-being-boring-and-find-some-creativity-new-zealand-tells-tourists-in-new-campaign/ Fri, 29 Jan 2021 09:55:16 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=573728 The post Stop being boring and find some creativity, New Zealand tells tourists in new campaign appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

Trying to persuade travellers to beyond social influence and urging them to stop mimicking photos they see online and share something new instead, New Zealand has now unveiled a new tourism campaign

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New Zealand is really bored of your Instagram posts. Trying to persuade travellers to beyond social influence and urging them to stop mimicking photos they see online and share something new instead, New Zealand has now unveiled a new tourism campaign.

Famed for their funny advertising, the country has brought in the local comedian Tom Sainsbury to deliver the message to travellers. The call was made in a two-minute video, starring Sainsbury as a member of the ‘Social Observation Squad (SOS)’. The official follows tourists to some of the country’s most famous landscapes and urges them to stop traveling ‘under the social influence’.

The video is a part of the New Zealand tourist board’s long-running ‘Do Something New’ campaign. The ‘Do Something New’ tourism tagline has been running since May and is aimed at boosting the country’s domestic tourism industry, which has been struggling from the pandemic-induced border closures.

The campaign comes at an awkward time for tourists, with most international travellers barred from entering the country.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that New Zealand’s borders will remain closed for most of this year as the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, but that the country will pursue travel arrangements with neighbouring Australia and other Pacific nations.

“Given the risks in the world around us and the uncertainty of the global rollout of the vaccine, we can expect our borders to be impacted for much of this year,” Ardern said.

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New Zealand looks forward to travel bubble with Australia in early 2021 https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/new-zealand-looks-forward-to-travel-bubble-with-australia-in-early-2021/ Tue, 15 Dec 2020 00:40:56 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=569771 The post New Zealand looks forward to travel bubble with Australia in early 2021 appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the cabinet has agreed in principle on a trans-Tasman, quarantine-free travel bubble pending confirmation by Australia’s cabinet and no significant change in circumstances in either country

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New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the cabinet has agreed in principle on a trans-Tasman, quarantine-free travel bubble pending confirmation by Australia’s cabinet and no significant change in circumstances in either country. The country has agreed to allow quarantine-free travel with Australia in the first quarter of 2021, nearly a year after it locked down its borders to protect its population from the novel coronavirus.

“It is our intention to name a date in the New Year once remaining details are locked down,” Ardern said at a news conference in the capital, Wellington. New Zealand has virtually eliminated the novel coronavirus by enforcing a tough lockdown and keeping its borders shut to all foreigners for most of the year.

Ardern said more work was needed to ensure safe travel and New Zealand would move cautiously to finalise arrangements like managing airline crews.

A trans-Tasman travel bubble has been under discussion for months and many Australian regions have allowed New Zealanders in without quarantine requirements since October, but New Zealand had not reciprocated.

Australia also closed its international borders early in the pandemic and apart from New Zealanders, only allows returning Australians to fly in.

“This is a sign that New Zealand and Australia aren’t just working together but that families can be back together in both directions, friends can be back together in both directions and flights can be full in both directions,” Australian health minister Greg Hunt said. Hunt said the bubble was good for the economy, good for airlines and good for both countries and the first step on a return to international normality.

Last week, New Zealand stuck its first pact on a reciprocal, quarantine-free travel bubble, agreeing to open up travel with the Cook Islands by March. Ardern said progress on a novel coronavirus vaccine was nothing less than remarkable and everyone was as optimistic as possible for 2021.

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New Zealand announces first travel bubble with Cook Islands https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/new-zealand-announces-first-travel-bubble-with-cook-islands/ Mon, 14 Dec 2020 02:28:52 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=569714 The post New Zealand announces first travel bubble with Cook Islands appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

New Zealand has created its first reciprocal travel bubble since the new coronavirus prompted border closures around the world with the Cook Islands

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New Zealand has announced its first reciprocal travel bubble since the new coronavirus prompted border closures around the world. Its new air bubble with the Cook Islands will let people travel between the countries without quarantine.

Leaders of the South Pacific countries said they had ordered officials to start making arrangements to resume free travel between them from the first quarter of 2021, citing low infection rates and their special ties. The Cook Islands is one of the only countries to remain COVID-free.

New Zealand joined countries around the world in shutting its borders in March to stop the coronavirus spreading. Neighbouring Australia wants to have a similar travel bubble with New Zealand and has opened its borders, but New Zealand has so far declined.

“The arrangement recognises the special ties between New Zealand and the Cook Islands,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown called the plan the next step towards resuming many aspects of life in the Cook Islands that have been disrupted by COVID-19, including access to health and education, and reuniting family and friends.

About 80,000 New Zealanders identify as Cook Islanders, according to New Zealand figures, several times the Cook Islands population itself. The Cook Islands is an independent country but its citizens automatically get New Zealand citizenship.

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New Zealand PM doubts two-way travel bubble with Australia by Christmas https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/new-zealand-pm-doubts-two-way-travel-bubble-with-australia-by-christmas/ Wed, 18 Nov 2020 00:43:19 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=566196 The post New Zealand PM doubts two-way travel bubble with Australia by Christmas appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has admitted that there is very little chance for New Zealand to fully reopen to Australia by Christmas.

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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has admitted that there is very little chance for New Zealand to fully reopen to Australia by Christmas.

The two countries are in an impasse over reopening their borders due to different strategies on tackling the coronavirus outbreak. Currently, New Zealand and Australia have a travel bubble arrangement wherein Kiwi travellers will not be required to quarantine in AU. However, NZ did not extend the same courtesy and no one entering New Zealand escapes the mandatory quarantine.

“What’s happening in South Australia only further reinforces the importance of having a good understanding of how Australia intends to manage their internal borders when there are outbreaks,” Ardern said.

“If they have an outbreak but they are instituting strong border controls, then it’s manageable. But if they have a tolerance level for community transmission that’s higher than ours, then it is problematic. What this underscores is why it’s so important that New Zealand has not rushed into this,” she added.

In the meantime, New Zealand is also working on a travel bubble with the Cook Islands, the semi-autonomous Pacific nation. Kiwi officials are reportedly in the nation to iron out the details of a possible travel bubble and to restart a tourism-reliant economy.

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Business events get green signal across New Zealand https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/business-events-get-green-signal-across-new-zealand/ Tue, 06 Oct 2020 01:30:25 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=560760 The post Business events get green signal across New Zealand appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

Auckland’s move to Alert Level 1 is great news for the business events industry and will give decision-makers confidence across the country

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Auckland’s move to Alert Level 1 is great news for the business events industry and will give decision-makers confidence across the country, said Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) chief executive, Lisa Hopkins. Auckland will join the rest of New Zealand in Covid-19 alert level 1 on 7 October.

“The new announcement by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern dispels all confusion about who can meet and where. We have been given the green light to meet, with the country fully opened up to domestic groups, and Aucklanders again welcome to any region,” she said.

“Now is the time to rebuild the industry and deliver confidence back to organisers who have been holding off planning and booking their events. Our message is it is safe to hold a conference, seminar, workshop, or team recognition event. We want people to understand that business events are the safest type of event that can be held, backed up by the World Health Organisation (WHO) itself.”

CINZ has opened registrations for BE Reconnected, a free industry exhibition and networking day in Auckland on 1 December aimed at the throwing the spotlight on this sector and rekindling vital industry relationships.

“BE Reconnected will be an essential platform to support the sector now and beyond. It is imperative for the good of the country and for the industry that we now move forward safely, and with assurance,” Hopkins added.

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“No signs of life” left in New Zealand’s White Island volcano eruption https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/new-zealand-white-island-volcano-eruption/ Wed, 11 Dec 2019 00:50:23 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=529752 The post “No signs of life” left in New Zealand’s White Island volcano eruption appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

Police have claimed that there had been "no signs of life" left on White Island volcano eruption during several lengthy aerial survey flights.

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Police have claimed that there had been “no signs of life” left on White Island after several lengthy aerial survey flights following Monday’s volcano eruption. However, they were unable to fully access the island due to the dangerous conditions. There is a high chance that New Zealand’s most active volcano will erupt again.

While search and rescue is the top priority, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the focus has shifted to “recovery” of people’s “loved ones”.

The deadly volcano eruption on Monday afternoon came as a shock as there was no indication that such violent activity would occur that day.

Volcanic danger level is measured on a one-to-five scale, with five being the highest. It was reported that the volcanic activity that morning was at level two and it was a typical day for tour companies. Tourists and tour guides were still exploring the volcano, including many visitors from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the Ovation of the Seas. Police said that a group of tourists were near the crater of the volcano minutes before it erupted.

Some boats that were bound, to and from the island, all headed back to help people caught up in the eruption. Prime Minister Ardern paid tribute to these courageous people. “Those who undertook a risky effort in the immediate aftermath did so in an incredibly courageous way,” she said.

Police claimed that there were at least 47 people on the island at the time of the eruption with at least six people confirmed dead and eight people remain missing at the time of this writing. Almost all patients who were injured in the deadly New Zealand volcanic eruption have suffered extensive burns to their bodies and lungs.

Out of the 31 people still in the hospital, 27 had burns to at least 30% of their bodies and many have inhalation burns that require airway support. Given the injuries, there is a higher chance that the death toll will rise.

White Island is New Zealand’s most active volcano built up by more than 150,000 years of volcanic activity. The island is also “one of the world’s most accessible active volcanoes” and an average of 10,000 people visits the island every year.

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ANZ offers help to customers and emergency services after Christchurch shooting https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/anz-offer-help-christchurch-shooting/ Fri, 15 Mar 2019 07:22:29 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=498226 The post ANZ offers help to customers and emergency services after Christchurch shooting appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

In the wake of the tragic news coming out of Christchurch, Air New Zealand has announced that it will waive any fees and differences in fares should a customer need to change travel plans today.

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Al Noor Mosque, Christchurch

Coming in the wake of the tragic news earlier this morning that a congregation attending Friday prayers at Al Noor Mosque,  in Christchurch, New Zealand were fired upon by, an as yet undetermined number of attackers — Air New Zealand (ANZ) has announced that it will waive any change fees and difference in fare should a customer need to make changes to travel booked for today.

The attack, which was chillingly captured by one of the assailants and distributed as a live feed on social media, has resulted in up to 27 casualties, according to local press.

“An extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the incident at a televised press conference: “This is one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”  Ardern then went on to add: “Clearly what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence.”

No place in New Zealand

It is suspected that four perpetrators were involved, with Christchurch police reporting that three men and one woman have now been arrested.  One of which has been identified as  Brenton Tarrant, from Australia, who displayed neo-Nazi symbols and the white supremacist Fourteen Words on social media.

Ardern commented on the arrests, saying that the gunmen “have no place in New Zealand and in fact no place in this world”, and that though intelligence indicates there are no further suspects unaccounted for “we are not assuming that at this stage”.

Air New Zealand customers can call the airline’s contact centre on 0800 737 000 at their convenience or contact the airline via private message on Facebook or Twitter to manage any immediate booking changes. Call volumes may be higher than usual as a result of this incident, impacted customers are not required to advise air new Zealand today of changes to their travel plans.

The carrier also said that they have offered support to the emergency services managing the incident in Christchurch today.

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Chinese tourists cancel trips to New Zealand to ‘punish’ them https://dev.traveldailymedia.com/chinese-tourists-new-zealand/ Mon, 25 Feb 2019 05:47:16 +0000 https://www.traveldailymedia.com/?p=496274 The post Chinese tourists cancel trips to New Zealand to ‘punish’ them appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Brand TD.

Chinese tourists are cancelling their trips to New Zealand after the country bans Chinese telecommunications company Huawei from operating there last year.

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Chinese tourists are cancelling their trips to New Zealand after the country banned Chinese telecommunications company Huawei from operating there last year.

According to state-owned media Global Times, Chinese travellers are abandoning their travel plans into the country as a way to “punish” New Zealand over its decision to ban mobile company Spark from using Huawei equipment in its 5G upgrade.

Moreover, the political relationship between the two countries is now “strained”. However, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted there were “complexities” between Beijing and Wellington’s relationship, but dismissed concerns of a diplomatic row.

But she said no final decision had been made on whether Huawei equipment could be used in the planned network upgrade.

Back-stabbing

“New Zealand stabbed us in the back”

“Is it a kind of robbery? New Zealand stabbed us in the back but asks for our money? This is double-faced,” the article quoted a Beijing-based worker with the surname Li.

This move by China is a jab to NZ’s tourism as China has been the fastest-growing visitor to the country with numbers expected to double by 2023 to around 913,000 visitors.

It is also affecting the investments poured in the country. Reports claimed that Beijing decided to pull out of a landmark tourism partnership deal dubbed the “China-New Zealand Year of Tourism”, which was expected to bring in NZD2.3 billion (USD1.6 bn) per year within four years.

The partnership has been in the works for a year and described as an opportunity for the two countries “to strengthen economic ties through tourism”. Then, it’s all up in smokes.

Revenge

This is not the first time that China has used the power of Chinese travellers as a way of getting back to some countries. China discourages tourists to travel to US and Canada following the trade wars exacerbated by the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada in December on behalf of the US.

The travel warning is extended to US allies or countries in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing pact: Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Thailand also received a cold shoulder from China after 40 plus Chinese tourists died in a boat accident in Phuket.

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