Tourism workers urged to get jab
Tourism businesses are being urged to get frontline workers vaccinated against Covid-19, but operators are unsure where they stand legally if staff refuse.
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash told the Trenz annual tourism industry conference on Thursday that vaccination was the key to keeping New Zealanders and overseas visitors safe, and the borders open.
‘‘I’m very clear on this, we need to provide a safe environment for international tourists coming over here, and I think that’s the least of their expectations.
‘‘As our vaccination rates ramp up, we will be less likely to have to resort to further alert level changes, and it will also provide additional opportunities to safely open up travel to and from a wider range of countries.’’
Nash urged tourism operators to do everything they could to support their employees to make the right decisions about vaccination.
‘‘Talk to them through some of the myths that are out there at the moment which are quite damaging, or vaccine hesitancy which is about some people feeling a little bit safe at the moment, and unsure about whether they should have a vaccination.’’
A number of border workers who refused vaccinations and could not be redeployed have lost their jobs, but Nash said tourism workers could not be compelled to have the Covid-19 jab.
‘‘You saw what happened to the
Tourism Aotearoa chief executive
customs workers who refused to get vaccinated; having said that, that was a specific order that had been put in place for those working at the border.’’
Tourism Aotearoa chief executive
Chris Roberts said the industry agreed it was important to have consistent health and safety standards throughout the country, and that included vaccinating staff.
‘‘If they are frontline personnel dealing with members of the public, and in contact with visitors from overseas, there will be a very high expectation they’re vaccinated.’’
Wayfare is a major cruise and tour operator with more than 500 employees, and chief executive
Stephen England-Hall said they will hire a further 700 to 1000 for the ski season. He said they were consulting staff over the vaccination issue. ‘‘We can encourage people to have a vaccination, but at the end of the day it’s a personal
‘‘There will be a very high expectation they’re vaccinated.’’ Chris Roberts
choice.’’
Hobbiton general manager Russell Alexander was seeking advice on what to do if a frontline worker declined vaccination, but cannot be redeployed into another job.