Flight Centre NZ managing director David Coombes. Photo / Greg Bowker
Flight Centre NZ managing director David Coombes. Photo / Greg Bowker
OPINION:
My heart skipped a beat today learning the Government was to give some clarity on when the "Reconnecting New Zealanders to the World" plan would commence. This follows almost four months of radio silence since the plan was first introduced.
This is an exciting day for our industry andwe're taking this moment to celebrate. It has been 600 long days since borders were closed, and the travel industry has essentially been in the equivalent of a level 4 lockdown, with nothing to sell and a resulting drastic impact on revenue.
But the celebration is tinged with a strong sense that the announcement hasn't gone far enough.
On December 15, Auckland's borders are reopening for domestic travel with the use of vaccinations and negative testing as a line of defence. It begs the question - why can't the same be applied to international travel?
Hipkins also said the seven-day isolation requirement would be up for review, and so it should be. It seems excessive if vaccination requirements and Covid-19 testing is being used at every stage of the journey.
This is more rigorous than domestic requirements and as we know, there are far more Covid-19 cases in our community than there are coming through our borders.
Look at our neighbours in Australia. New South Wales, who has a similar vaccination rate to what we're expected to have in the coming weeks of just over 91 per cent, was warned that cases would spike when its border opened earlier this month. Almost one month on and cases have been falling.
Here's my alternative.
From December 15, Auckland's domestic borders will open to the vaccinated or those who can provide a negative test within 72 hours prior to departure.
From that date, international borders should reopen to those that are vaccinated as well. It defies logic that the exact same protocol is somehow less effective because the border is an international one.
When leaving New Zealand, you must provide a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure and when returning, you must do the same.
As an extra layer of protection, a rapid Covid-19 test could be taken upon entering New Zealand and travellers could be required to stay at their chosen accommodation (not MIQ) until the test returns as negative.
This is a simple and sensible way to start reconnecting New Zealand with the rest of the world.
According to the latest OECD data, New Zealand has the fourth-highest rate of foreign-born residents and the second-highest rate of citizens living overseas. The so-called, "team of five million," has been cut off from their forgotten millions of relatives overseas for too long. The mental health toll is immense.
With domestic borders reopening Flight Centre boss says its time for transtasman travel. Photo / Michael Craig
And what about our economy? Why keep New Zealand's businesses that depend on inbound foreign nationals to thrive - tourism, international education and the agricultural sector, some of our previously highest earning sectors, waiting until May?
Sir Ian Taylor and Murray Bolton are to be applauded, but let's ensure Kiwi businesses of more modest means are not disadvantaged on the global stage. A seven-day isolation requirement will still make conducting business overseas, unrealistic for many.
Meanwhile, airlines are continuing to redivert to other markets where there is more certainty of business. Less airline capacity means higher prices, which is not good news for Kiwi families or businesses who want to take Aotearoa to the world.
If we act now – we will see competitive airfares and packages return.
Our travel experts are ready to help Kiwis navigate this new reality of international travel which will involve precautions and protocols across every point of the journey.
Kiwis want to see the world again. Travel is a rite of passage here in Aotearoa - we're arguably the most mobile and internationally connected in the developed world.
Many of us have seen the clips coming out of Sydney earlier this month when the first flights arrived in from Singapore and LA - there were tears, cheers and everything in between. It could be compared to that famous scene out of the movie, Love Actually.
How amazing will it be if we get that magical movie-scene moment here ahead of Christmas too?
The Prime Minister is in Auckland tomorrow, I warmly invite her to meet with myself or others in the travel industry to discuss how we could look at reopening sooner, with simpler and more logical safety measures in place.
• David Coombes is NZ managing director of Flight Centre Travel Group, the country's largest travel retailer.
