It’s definitely going to be a while before tourists start travelling across the globe. But what if travelling across designated approved regions of the globe was allowed post the lockdown? Would you be up for it?
Well, as Australia and New Zealand begin to ease out their coronavirus restrictions, the two countries have decided to open up their borders each other by creating a travel corridor or a travel bubble between the two.
Travel Bubble Between Australia And New Zealand
Since both Australia and New Zealand have appeared to have successfully brought their coronavirus outbreaks under control, the two countries have now reached a formal agreement to establish a ‘trans-Tasman travel bubble’ as soon as it is safe to allow flights between the two countries.
A travel bubble simply means opening of the borders between the two countries, which will allow significant trade to restart and let thousands of people travel between the countries.
Jacinda Ardern and Scott Morrison have issued a joint statement stating they would pursue a trans-Tasman COVID-19-safe travel zone once both Australia and New Zealand ease their current lockdown restrictions considerably.
While the details of the agreement haven’t been worked out yet, opening up of borders would boost the countries’ battered economies significantly. Trade, businesses and tourism could be revived, thereby giving a morale boost for populations in both the countries.
Business groups in both Australia and New Zealand have welcomed the commitment. However, experts warn that the two countries will need to be careful and not to move too fast and end up creating a second COVID-19 wave.
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Both Countries Will Benefit From The Travel Bubble
Since the two countries have one of the closest bilateral relationships in the world, both Australia and New Zealand stand to gain from the agreement.
Did you know that Australian passport holders can travel and work in New Zealand indefinitely without a visa, and vice versa? Yes, that’s how bilaterally close the countries are. It is also estimated that more than half a million New Zealanders live in Australia and 75,000 Australians live in New Zealand. An arrangement like this will allow families to be reunited after months.
The two countries also contribute heavily to each other’s tourism industry. Australians make up almost 40% of international arrivals to New Zealand while New Zealanders make up around 15% of Australia’s international visitors.
According to the joint statement released, this travel bubble could also be expanded later to include the Pacific countries in the region, which are also worst-hit by the coronavirus.