Transtasman travel not for everyone

The first group of Kiwi flyers have broken the ice on the transtasman travel bubble, but this major change in our Covid-19 response won’t be popular with everyone.

TV news items have focused on enthusiastic family members keen to reunite and tourism business operators hopeful for income.

There will definitely be a group of people who will welcome the change and it should be an important boost for the tourism sector. There have been spikes of interest noted in travel searches and passport applications. Auckland International Airport is seeing a swelling of flight traffic.

Plenty of Kiwis will jump at the chance to release some fizzed-up cabin fever. Even so, it would be wrong to assume that everyone is on board and ready to board. There are plenty of New Zealanders who prefer things as they are while the pandemic is storming offshore.

These people are in no hurry to go anywhere overseas and don’t want anything to upset what they feel is working here now. Those things are simple but valuable: Being able to see friends and family without worrying about infection; freely shopping and dining out; going to events; enjoying holidays at home without a lot of tourists.

They know these “normal” behaviours are still difficult to do safely and with peace of mind elsewhere. And they’re spooked by the news of the infection surges hitting Brazil and India.

Even though Australia has dealt with the coronavirus well, anecdotally there’s scepticism of any border changes just yet.

That widespread cautiousness is there in the Herald-Kantar poll on the travel bubble.

The percentages of people who want to take advantage of quarantine less two-way travel with Australia right now are fairly low, although that could change if it runs smoothly. When asked when they would “consider booking” a trip — not actually flying — only a combined 7 per cent would do so in a week or a month. Booking could mean flying months down the track.

The fact that 9 per cent would essentially “think about it” in three months, and 15 per cent would in six months does not suggest great urgency..

Some are prepared to wait for vaccination and reopening to be done right even if it takes longer. Others feel it is taking too long.

In Australia, the Government is discussing how to open up the economy and maybe move to home quarantine. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said an idea in “planning stages” is that in the second half of the year vaccinated Australians could travel overseas “for essential purposes” and isolate at home on their return.