New Zealand to fully reopen for tourists from July

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently announced that the country will fully reopen its international borders from July 31, along with cruise ships getting back to local ports on the same day.

As per the reports, the July-end opening of the border is two months earlier than the previous time frame provided by the government, which means visitors who need visas will now be able to enter New Zealand.
The PM added that the opening of borders would also help relieve urgent skills shortages, open up the country for tourism, and put immigration settings on a more secure footing. Ardern added that they are building on their proven plan to secure New Zealand’s economic future.

As reported earlier, New Zealand relied on strict border controls to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although throughout the pandemic, the South Pacific country managed to report fewer casualties, its strict measures inflicted a heavy toll on industries, such as tourism, which left thousands of New Zealanders stranded overseas.
Michael Plank, a statistics expert at the University of Canterbury whose modelling informed the government’s pandemic strategy, added that many New Zealanders are looking forward to travelling internationally again and welcome more tourists here.

He added that the COVID-19 is still going to be a public health issue, which needs to be carefully managed. However, since more and more people are now vaccinated and COVID is widespread, travel restrictions are no longer effective as a control measure.