New Zealand borders to open to all international visa holders from 1st August

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has today advised that the country’s borders will open to all international visa holders from 1st August 2022.

With Australians, vaccinated travellers from visa-waiver countries and New Zealand citizens already allowed to enter or return to the country. Prime Minister Ardern said New Zealand is “in demand and now fully open for business”.

Accordingly, the border will reopen fully, including to cruise ships and international students.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram has welcomed the announcement that the opening date for visa-required travellers to enter New Zealand is being brought forward and that pre-departure testing would be dropped by the same date.

Ingram advised that the announcement gives travellers from markets like China and India the confidence to book their trips to New Zealand for when they are able to travel.

The reopening of the maritime border at the same time means cruise lines can start confirming port calls and preparing ships with certainty for the 2022/23 season.

TIA sees that this will support regions across New Zealand where the cruise industry is an important component of their tourism economy.

Noting that, as the borders reopen, the industry is seeking great people who are passionate about New Zealand to provide amazing experiences, Ingram advised “offering a great visitor experience is critical to New Zealand’s reputation as a destination.

“We appreciate additional measures to support the tourism industry announced today, in particular the Government’s decision to phase in the median wage requirement for the new Accredited Employer Work Visa. This will give tourism operators time to get their businesses healthy again while rebuilding the workforce.”

Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) Chief Executive Lisa Hopkins says 1st August reopening will  deliver confidence to international event organisers to choose New Zealand as their conference, meeting, or incentive destination.

Hopkins stated “New Zealand is really starting to gear up for the future and the announcements today help support this. We will have the infrastructure, the talent and the connections which will make the decision easy to win international conference and incentive travel business.”

BEIA has also welcomed the Government agreeing to temporarily exempt tourism and hospitality businesses from paying the median wage to recruit migrants on an Accredited Employer Work Visa, and instead, a lower wage threshold of $25 per hour will be required until April 2023.

Hopkins added “the decision to lower median wage levels for visa-holding staff is much-needed news for tourism and hospitality businesses struggling with the ongoing issue of finding staff and broadens the opportunity to recruit from offshore markets.”

Images: Winter visitors above Lake Wanaka (top) and Tourism Industry Aotearoa Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram (below).