What Does the NZ-Cook Islands Travel Bubble Mean for Fiji?
New Zealand recently announced a quarantine-free travel to the Cook Islands set to start from May 17. The two way quarantine-free travel has been dubbed by the NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as a significant step in both countries’ COVID-19 recovery, and a direct result of both New Zealand and the Cook Islands’ successful response to the pandemic.
“It will mean families can reconnect, commercial arrangements can resume and Kiwis can take a much-welcomed winter break and support the Cook Islands’ tourism sector and recovery,” Ms Arden said.
“That we can take this step in our recovery so soon after opening the trans-Tasman bubble highlights the benefits of our COVID-19 management, and the opportunities it is now providing New Zealand and our neighbours. “This is a world-leading arrangement and it’s important to remember many other countries still have bans in place on travel for holiday purposes.”
For these two countries, alot of work had gone into ensuring the two-way bubble was safe and that the Cook Islands was set up and ready for it.
So what does this mean to Fiji?
We speak to leading tourism personalities, Global BedBank Ltd managing director Bill Whiting and Rosie Travel Group managing director Tony Whitton.
Below are excerpts of an interview:
The Cook Islands will welcome Kiwi visitors from 17 May, as announced recently by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. What does this news mean for Fiji? Tony Whitton:
Firstly, the news of the Cook Islands -New Zealand travel bubble is unprecedented and has to be the most positive news that Fiji Tourism has received in the last 13 months since our airport closures.
The news shows that New Zealand (and Australia in time) are finally at a point where they are open to allowing their citizens to travel to the South Pacific without having to quarantine anymore.
Cook Islands will be the test country and hopefully in time other islands will be considered including Fiji.
Cooks is at an advantage, as to date they have had zero COVID cases and has put them in a strong position as this would have been an important consideration in the “bubble” talks.
I would imagine that in Fijis case we would have to show our strong containment capabilities and growing vaccination.
So I know that all of us involved with tourism in Fiji, will be watching this new travel bubble very closely with great optimism. We are happy for many of our industry colleagues and resorts that operate in the Cooks having joined them at major International Travel Fairs to promote the Pacific.
They have been struggling just like Fiji. Tourism is vital for the Cook Islands Economy with over 60 per cent of their GDP reliant on Tourism (when compared to Fiji which is about 40 per cent), so this bubble no double will inject vital foreign exchange into their economy and get Cook Islanders back to work again.
Bill Whiting: Definitely Australia and New Zealand and only these countries at this time. Both countries have COVID well under control.
Also combined, both countries have traditionally been our main source of visitors, consistently providing over 50 per cent of Fiji’s total arrivals, and as they stay longer than visitors from other source markets,
they make a greater contribution to the Fijian economy.
We need to be very wary of accepting visitors from any other country until they have COVID under control and a large number of their citizens vaccinated.
I’d suggest our Ministry of Health and Medical Services, which is doing a great job, take guidance from Australia and New Zealand on which countries we should accept visitors from.
When Australia and NZ are ready to accept visitors from other countries then we can take that as a reassurance we can also welcome visitors from the same countries without risking our relationship in a NZ and Australian travel bubble.
In terms of a travel bubble, which countries or what bubble would you recommend that best suit Fiji to kick start travel and churn the economy?
Tony Whitton: The principle of “travel bubbles” is not straight forward as any decision has to delicately balance sovereign well- being of its citizens and economic benefit.
And each time it involves very complex discussion between heads of state, health experts, security and aviation specialists.
That’s why it took Cook Islands over eightmonths to finalise the bubble and it helps being a Realm member.
I have always held the view that any travel bubble has to be staged, with Fiji first directing its focus to Australia and New Zealand. And then look at say USA.
For Australia and New Zealand, both countries are already 60 per cent of Fiji’s traditional visitor arrivals and only 3 hours away by plane.
Both countries have stood out because of
how they have handled the COVID-virus, and the fact that their economies continue to grow and their citizens actually still very prosperous.
And every survey I have read, show that the Aussies and Kiwis still want to travel, but initially in the region and not too far away from home.
So for now, as a nation in the next 30 days, we have to work together and whole-heartedly support the work of the Ministry of Health and Police.
This is to stamp out transmission of this virus, and at the same time continue our mass vaccination programmes, as I really can’t see a bubble advancing until we have some success in these two areas.
So let’s see how we go this month.
Why have you chosen those destinations?
Tony Whitton: So wouldn’t it make sense to tap into these two prosperous economies of Australia and New Zealand that are COVIDcontained, three hours away by plane and citizens that love tropical holidays and for now can only travel to one other international destination being the Cook Islands without having to quarantine on return.
We also have to keep the option of the important USA market on the table, as I don’t believe we can keep our airports closed forever.
But I do know whatever decision will be made by our Fijian Government in discussions with Australia and New Zealand will balance the safety of our citizens with the important priority to get our people in the tourism and aviation industry back to work.
As a tourism leader, what is your advice to tourism and hospitality workers who are currently serving as front liners at quarantine facilities?
Tony Whitton: Firstly, I say thank you. Our Rosie drivers are at the airport at strange hours with Ministry of Health, Fiji Airports, Immigration, Customs, Bio-security, the Police and Military to welcome these flights and then take them to the quarantine hotels.
And it is this group of people…that everyday put their own lives and their families lives at risk, working in hazardous conditions on the front-line to serve Fiji citizens and other vital essential workers to the Fijian economy, who need to return to Fiji.
And this applies to our national airline with pilots and crew that provide a critical service allowing vital imports of medicines and machinery and exports of fresh produce that keep our farmers and fisherman working. How do you think our vaccines are arriving? And each time pilots and crew quarantine for 14 days.
That’s not easy, but it is a service to the country and they are looked after by our hardworking tourism and hospitality workers.
Imagine if everyone threw their hands up and said “I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s too hard”.
So they have my utmost respect.
But like all things that involve service to the country…these duties come with great responsibility and if you choose to sign up, then you have promised that the protection of every Fijian Citizen is paramount inside and outside the facility and this is non-negotiable, and you commit every day to a ritual of vigilance, with meticulous adherence to systems and protocols.
Why? Because these systems have been created by experts to protect the life of every men, women and child, and they are not burdensome but essential.
And you also realise that if there is a threat to the health of the nation, there is also a direct threat to jobs and the work that the Fijian Government and tourism stakeholders are quietly doing behind the scene to safely re-open our airports to international visitors.
As it stands now, over 50,000 workers in the tourism and aviation industry have been without regular employment for 14 months. And its heart-breaking.
So what’s important now is to understand that our enemy is the virus and not the person.
Let’s devote every ounce of energy to destroying the virus.
We did it last year, and prayerfully we can do it again this year, if we come together as a nation and 100 per cent abide by the Ministry of Health Directive.
We can do it. I am confident that we can then turn our attention to the positive task of talking to New Zealand and Australia, to create a travel bubble with Fiji in the coming months. This is to get 50,000 families back to work, and put food back on their tables.
And in time look at other countries.
Bill Whiting: These workers have been making personal sacrifices and play a vital role in protecting the nation. It is vital that they continue to consistently, completely follow Government guidelines to the letter.
As we have seen, COVID can escape and spread very quickly.
I believe, but for this recent outbreak, we would have followed closely behind the Cook Islands in being able to open up our borders to New Zealand and Australia. We cannot afford anymore setbacks.