A group of inbound tour operators responsible for bringing tens of thousands of high spending visitors to New Zealand are welcoming the early re-opening of borders and are hoping for Government support to help kick-start their preparations.
"We’re excited about the borders opening in early April and May and can’t wait to get back to normal, says Mark Ma, the spokesperson for a group of inbound tour operators.
"We, like many others, have been hard hit by COVID-19 and now we want to get going as fast as possible so we can do our bit to revive international tourism in New Zealand."
The group represents a large number of package tour operators who bring high value tourists from Asia-Pacific and Europe.
The Government this week unveiled a new border opening plan for international visitors, bringing forward by several months the original plans after the current Omicron wave subsides.
"We’re right behind the Government’s vision for more high value tourism. High spending tourists not only return more to the country, they help take the pressure off our tourism infrastructure and our landscapes," says Mark.
"While the announcement is welcome, it’s really only the start for us and there’s still a long journey ahead to re-establish markets and boost New Zealand’s profile to our target customers. What we really need now is help from the Government so we can get back on our feet and make that vision a reality.
"Like everyone else in the tourist industry, it’s been a huge struggle. Most of us are small businesses which have had to lay off staff, close offices, cease marketing and mothball assets like vans and buses so getting going again is a big challenge.
"We haven’t had an income for two years and while the wage subsidy has helped, many of us have been without revenue for too long. We’ve had to rely on savings and loans just to survive. I know some of our members may not even be able to start up again."
Many inbound tour operators were not eligible for support under the Strategic Tourism Asset Protection Programme and the Government’s $49m kick-start fund as it is regionally focused. Many also have not been able to access previous COVID-19 related assistance for the tourism industry.
"We’re no different from many tourism operators who are all struggling to get going again," says Mark.
"We’re asking for help from the Government so we can start booking high value tourists again. A kick-start would help us re-hire and train staff, fund marketing in our key overseas markets and assist with other urgent needs like maintenance on vehicles.
"The risk is that if many of us fail to get on our feet again, the high value tourists we are looking to attract again may be lost to Australia and other destinations."
