Wellington And Central Region Businesses Welcome The Trans-Tasman Bubble

Wellington Chamber of Commerce and Business Central welcome the news that from Monday 19 April the trans-Tasman bubble will be operational.

"This is good news for businesses and a world first between two countries that have eliminated Covid-19, strategically working together to make this travel bubble happen," says Simon Arcus, Wellington Chamber and Business Central Chief Executive.

"There’s no doubt of the sizable impact that the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions have had on businesses with border closures and the policy uncertainty featured significantly in our recent business confidence survey. The trans-Tasman bubble announcement will be seen as real progress, with business confidence reliant on things continuing to go well.

"Now we have to maximise the opportunity. Wellington and the wider central New Zealand region needs to put our best foot forward over the coming months. We know that Australians make up around 70 per cent of Wellington’s direct international arrivals - over 150,000 people. Getting our Aussie friends back visiting our city for our hospitality, events, and businesses will be important to helping Wellington and New Zealand recovery. WellingtonNZ has a long track record of successfully attracting tourists from Australia, likewise Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Whanganui, Nelson, and the Wairarapa all have plenty for tourists to see and do. With global travel restrictions remaining in place it's also a unique travel proposition for those who might not have yet popped over the ditch.

"We welcome this first step in opening up the bubble both ways and other travel bubbles, like Cook Islands and Niue where one-way bubbles are already in place, should follow."

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