By Stu Freeman

Yesterday I was on Flight QF166 to the Gold Coast – Qantas’ inaugural between Auckland and Coolangatta and an early opportunity for me to experience travel in the trans Tasman bubble.

Auckland Airport yesterday (apart from a couple of slightly busier bursts during the day) was quiet to the point of being eerie – a boon for clients travelling just outside peak who want to get through the airport quickly with no hassle.

The South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) and Adelaide Airport have thrown their weight behind the trans Tasman travel bubble with plans to welcome Kiwis who are ready to travel once it is safe to do so.  

For the year ending December 2019, record numbers of Kiwis travelled to South Australia to enjoy the state’s food, wine and destinations such as the Murray River and Kangaroo Island, spending more than $45 million in their travels.

Fiji is in the early stages of discussions with New Zealand and Australia to become part of a trans Tasman travel bubble and needs to use the current time to prepare to welcome visitors back to a safe and attractive destination, according to Fayaz Siddiq Koya, the country’s Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport.

In a webinar to local industry last week, Koya said the possibility of inclusion in the ‘bubble’ has caused excitement in the destination. ‘But I should warn you we are at the very early stages. There are still many things

The travel and tourism industries of both Australia and New Zealand should be working together to create a ‘runway’ towards reopening trans-Tasman travel, an industry webinar heard this week.

Speaking at the Tourism Temperature digital event, organised by the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (TECNZ), various speakers felt the trans Tasman travel bubble could fly if the countries’ governments and health authorities also worked together to create safe and highly monitored gateways.