Plans for a phased reopening of New Zealand’s borders will be a positive step forward for the tourism sector, but provisions for a careful resumption of local cruising should be included to help revive New Zealand jobs and businesses, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said today.
Responding to the New Zealand Government’s announcement on future Covid-19 measures and a phased opening of borders, CLIA Managing Director Australasia Joel Katz said New Zealand would need an agreed framework to support tightly managed local cruise operations, beginning initially within a domestic or trans-Tasman bubble.
“Cruise lines globally have committed to stringent new testing procedures and health protocols in response to Covid-19 and these measures are already working successfully where cruising has resumed in other countries,” Mr Katz said. “As New Zealand plans for its reopening, we need to discuss how to implement these health protocols locally so that we’re ready for a careful revival of cruising as soon as conditions allow.”
Mr Katz said cruising was ordinarily worth around NZ$570 million a year to the New Zealand economy and supported thousands of local jobs, including in many regional locations around the country.
“This is a vital part of the New Zealand tourism economy, so we need to partner with government and work towards its revival,” Mr Katz said. “It’s not a matter of simply opening the doors – we need to agree on detailed plans for a carefully controlled resumption that starts small and moves forward in a way that works for New Zealand.”
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