Australia and New Zealand resume travel and normal entry hours

Australia and New Zealand are two countries in the South Pacific and are also the two largest regions. The two countries have always maintained good relations, especially in the fields of tourism and culture. Affected by the epidemic, At present, travel plans between the two countries have been damaged, so when will full tourism and navigation be restored?

According to Australia.com, the Australian Prime Minister previously proposed the "Trans-Tasman Bubble" plan to allow Australians to and New Zealanders can travel freely between the two countries without having to quarantine for 14 days. However, due to the instability of the epidemic, this plan was postponed. Recently, the plan has made new progress and is expected to be implemented before September.

June 8, local time, is the Queen’s Birthday holiday in many states in Australia. People came to the Blue Mountains Scenic Area, 100 kilometers away from downtown Sydney, to enjoy the natural beauty.

Currently, airport chiefs in both countries are pushing to launch flights between Canberra and Wellington within two weeks as a way to restart tourism.

The tourism industry has suffered a huge blow since Australia's borders were closed to international visitors in mid-March.

According to reports, Australia is New Zealand’s largest source of tourists. 1.5 million Australians visited New Zealand in 2019, injecting $2.5 billion into the New Zealand economy.

New Zealanders are the second largest group of tourists to Australia. In 2019, 1.43 million New Zealanders went to Australia for vacation.

While there is hope for cross-border travel between Australia and New Zealand, travel within Australia remains problematic.

After South Australia recently allowed people from Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania to enter, they will no longer need to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

In response, New South Wales Governor Gladys Berejiklian expressed dissatisfaction and criticism. Currently, residents from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Capital Territory are still not allowed to enter South Australia.

Berejiklian has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the closure of state borders. It is reported that South Australia is expected to lift the border restrictions with all jurisdictions in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Capital Territory on July 20, and the Queensland government plans to reopen its state borders on July 10.

Tasmania and Western Australia have yet to confirm a date or plan for opening border restrictions.

Source: China News Network