Future tipped to be green

When Pacific tourism reopens . . .

WELLINGTON: The future of tourism in the ‘‘blue’’ Pacific must be green, according to the head of South Pacific Tourism, Chris Cocker.

Pacific economies are reeling from the impact of about $US1.9 billion ($NZ3.1 billion) in losses from Covid19 border shutdowns.

Cocker said the industry had had a wakeup call on the need to think of other revenue streams, and the new global demand for sustainability.

The Pacific tourism sector had been turned on its head by the pandemic and would never be the same, he said.

‘‘We are going to move towards, most likely, green tourism and sustainable tourism because we have seen the oneness that Covid19, in positive way, has done to our environment.

‘‘I think the importance of sustainable tourism will increase as we move towards recovering and moving forward for the future of tourism in the Pacific and the world as a whole.’’

Cocker said there was no pressure — only what he called heated conversation — on when Pacific nations should join a potential transtasman travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand.

He said Pacific nations, which were mostly Covid19 free, were mindful of the need to ensure health systems were equipped for when borders opened up.

He said there was no onesizefitsall solution, and each country would take its time to decide when it was ready to reopen.

‘‘What’s the rush? I would rather have a position where it is cautious, and incremental stagetostage in deciding to open up the border to be included in the transtasman bubble in this case.

‘‘So each country needs to decide themselves, in terms of the stages they are in Covid19. And also how and when they are likely to open their borders.’’ — RNZ