Your bucket list trip to Hobbiton is possible once again! For the first time since March of 2020, New Zealand opened its borders to tourists. While the world comes back from the edge of a pandemic, The Shire is now welcoming lovers of hobbits back to the edge of adventure.
New Zealand Reopens to Tourists
Visitors from 60 visa-waiver nations, including the US and UK, can now enter for the first time since the closure of borders and the ensuing implementation of some of the world’s strictest contra pandemic measures. The first flights landed from Los Angeles and San Francisco in emotional scenes at Auckland airport. People waiting for the tourists handed out popular locally made chocolate bars.
New Zealand still requires vaccinated travelers to have a negative pre-departure Covid test. On arrival, they must self-test for coronavirus. Non-vaccinated visitors are allowed to enter from October unless the government decides to lift restrictions earlier. New Zealand implemented some of the toughest measures in the world during the pandemic. It has started to ease the increasingly unpopular measures to boost tourism and alleviate labor shortages. New Zealand opened borders to New Zealanders and Australians in February and March, following their closest neighbor’s example.
Tourism in New Zealand
New Zealand predicts more than 30,000 people to arrive in the country per week. This is an increase in number during the pandemic (when only domestic arrival was permitted entry), but well below pre-Covid levels, which were close to 25,000 people each day.
Tourism is a significant contributor to GDP. New Zealand was named ‘Oceania’s Leading Destination’ and ‘Oceania’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination’ by voters of the World Travel Awards.
Tourism Minister, Stuart Nash, said the reopening heralded a step toward the country getting back to normal. “This has been a long time [coming] – this sends a signal we are now open for business … it is fantastic to see.”
He continued, “Today marks a milestone for visitors from our key northern hemisphere markets in the USA, UK, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, and others, who can now jump on a plane to come here.”
