Tears and chocolate as New Zealand opens its borders to 60 more countries
People hug in the arrivals area at the Auckland Airport, as Australians started arriving after the country opened its borders to travellers from its neighbouring nation for the first time since mid-2021, in New Zealand, April 13, 2022 - REUTERS Pic
WELLINGTON: New Zealand welcomed 1000’s of travellers from across the globe on Wednesday as the nation opened its borders to guests from round 60 nations together with the United States, Britain and Singapore for the primary time since COVID-19 hit in early 2020.
Maori cultural performers sang songs on the arrivals gate in Auckland and travellers have been handed common regionally made chocolate bars as the primary flights got here in from Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Friends and household hugged and cried as folks have been reunited for what was for some the primary time in more than two years.
Garth Halliday, who was ready on the airport for his son, daughter-in-legislation and grandson to land from London, instructed native media it made him glad and emotional to see so many households reunited.
New Zealand had some of the hardest curbs on the earth in the course of the pandemic and solely just lately began to ease the more and more unpopular measures, hoping to increase tourism and ease labour shortages now the Omicron variant is widespread domestically.
Borders have been opened to New Zealanders and Australians in February and March. Now guests from round 60 visa-waiver countries can enter as lengthy as they’re vaccinated and check detrimental for COVID. There are not any necessities for isolation.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern instructed attendees on the U.S. Business Summit in Auckland that abroad guests will actually “bring back a piece that has been missing from New Zealand and New Zealanders.”
On Monday, 43 worldwide flights have been scheduled to arrive or depart from Auckland International carrying round 9,000 passengers.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty stated demand had exceeded expectations with many of the companies filling up.
“This is welcome news for the New Zealand tourism industry who has weathered a difficult storm,” she stated.
Tourists from a quantity of countries together with India and China proceed to be barred with restrictions for them not being lifted till October.
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