Instant jump in visitors not expected

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s borders are now completely reopened to the world but any change to numbers arriving on the country’s shores is expected to start as a trickle.

The last of five Covid19 border reopening phases happened at 11.59pm on Sunday — opening the maritime border, as well as applications for tourist, visitor and student visas from anywhere in the world.

Before the pandemic, international students and cruise ships were big money makers for New Zealand.

PreCovid, international students had brought in about $5 billion a year but that figure dropped to about an estimated $1.3 billion in 2021.

Cruise Association chief executive Kevin O’Sullivan was excited but said his industry also had a wait on its hands.

The first cruise ship was set to arrive in Auckland on August 12 ‘‘and then there’ll be something of a hiatus, then, until midOctober when the season begins in earnest’’, he said.

The industry would use that time to ensure it was ready, Mr O’Sullivan said, saying there was ‘‘already some hesitation in some quarters as to how ready it will be’’.

He was confident the industry still had a high economic value, pointing out that in the last season before the pandemic it brought in more than $500 million.

Head of Immigration New Zealand’s Reconnecting New Zealand unit Simon Sanders said the border changes were a ‘‘significant milestone’’ but it was hard to predict how many people would come to this country as a result.

‘‘I think it’s safe to say we’re not expecting the same level of demand we saw preCovid.

‘‘That’s probably for a number of reasons.

‘‘We know that China, who’s a larger visitor visarequired country, is still subject to a range of travel restrictions so we’re not expecting large demand from there, at least initially.’’

Mr Sanders said immigration would start processing visas immediately, with a commitment to processing ‘‘straightforward’’ visitor visas within 20 working days. — RNZ