Surge in Rarotonga bookings

‘‘We’ve seen many of our customers using their credits already.’’

Leanne Geraghty

Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer

Kiwis appear eager to begin travelling again, with a significant uptick in flight bookings to Rarotonga in the winter months following the announcement of a quarantinefree travel bubble.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, after her Friday meeting with Cook Islands counterpart Mark Brown, said there was as yet no set date for the two-way bubble, but it was hoped to open by May.

One-way travel began in January, allowing Cook Islands visitors to enter New Zealand without mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Following the news on Friday, an Air New Zealand spokesperson said the airline had experienced a significant uptick in bookings, compared to the same period the previous week. These were mostly for travel in June, July and October.

July was the most popular month for new bookings made on Friday, but since then, bookings had been flowing in for all three months, equally.

The airline did not divulge exactly how many bookings had been made.

Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said the airline has an international fare flexibility policy to help with the ongoing uncertainty around international border restrictions.

Customers can opt to credit or change the date and time if their flight is scheduled to depart before June 30.

‘‘We’ve seen many of our customers using their credits already, and we’re hopeful Tasman and Pacific travel will be up and running over the coming months,’’ Geraghty said.

Yesterday, one-way flights to Rarotonga during winter were listed for about $270 for a seat only and $320 for The Works, which includes movies, a checked bag and food and drinks.

Air New Zealand currently has one flight to Rarotonga scheduled per day.

Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce president and private sector taskforce chairman Fletcher Melvin said tourism businesses were ready to reopen once a firm bubble date was announced.

The country had lost an estimated 300 people a month since the one-way bubble was introduced, and the number was increasing, he said.

He estimated the country could lose about 40 per cent of its workforce by the end of the year if the two-way travel bubble does not materialise soon.

‘‘[The exodus] won’t affect us at this early stage, but certainly will if this continues because of no twoway quarantine-free travel,’’ Melvin said.

The Cook Islands relies on tourists to survive, with tourism contributing $1 million a day to the economy pre-Covid-19 and accounting for 65 per cent of its total GDP.

Flight Centre general manager of product Victoria Courtney earlier said she had seen pent-up demand from customers to travel to the Cook Islands.

It had always been a popular destination for Kiwi travellers, she said.