Photo taken on Jan. 11, 2022 shows a view of Banks Peninsula, where the town of Akaroa is located, in New Zealand.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

A Pohutukawa tree is seen at the port in Akaroa, New Zealand, Jan. 11, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2020 shows a view of Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

Chinese tourists visit Glenorchy, New Zealand, May 1, 2017.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
After nearly two year's border closure, the year of 2022 is the reopening of tourism industry in New Zealand as the government signalled, "but it will still be bumpy road ahead," Head of Tourism New Zealand Rene de Monchy told Xinhua on Thursday.

New Zealand government removed COVID-19 isolation requirements, one of the biggest obstacles for tourism recovery, for full-vaccinated Kiwis from early March and the policy is expected to cover eligible international travellers later this year.

According to the government's current five-step phased plan, eligible work visa and student visa holders will be allowed to enter the country with no quarantine requirement by April, and international visitors from all over the world are free to come to New Zealand no later by October.

Tourism was one of the pillar industries for New Zealand economy, but it was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years with tourism operators even describing the state of their industry as decimated.

Lisa Li, managing director of China Travel Service NZ, whose business mainly depends on tourists from China, said her company is fortunate to maintain one third of its workforce after two years of struggling. However, most of the travel agencies now are short of experienced staff.

De Monchy acknowledged the hit the industry had taken, but said "I think the industry will be very focused on reopening, coming out of being dormant, reopening their doors, rehiring and hiring new staff," he said.

For Tourism New Zealand, part of their plans was a ramp up in travel trade with the organization training up to 80,000 travel agents to ensure the promotion of New Zealand in post-COVID era, he said.

However, the question remains when and how many of the international travellers will come back.

EYES ON CHINA

Before 2020 when the pandemic hit the country, New Zealand is a popular destination for global tourists with Australia, China and the United States being the top three international markets for the country's tourism sector, according to De Monchy.

The tourists from the three countries generate around 60 percent of the value at the international market of New Zealand before the pandemic, with China ranked No. 2 international value market for New Zealand's tourism industry.

The Chinese market is crucial to New Zealand tourism industry. "That will remain our key focus areas," and they have always put emphasis on the Chinese market, said De Monchy.

"Even during the last two years when the border has been closed, we've been continuing to contact with Chinese market, using social media to make Chinese tourists dream of New Zealand, including the consumers as well as the travel trade," he said.

De Monchy anticipated Chinese travellers may come back to New Zealand by the end of this year as "the travelling period for Chinese tourists historically has been December and January, during New Zealand summer time as well as the Chinese New Year."

New Zealand reported 21,015 new community cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. The surge number of Omicron across the country has already made New Zealand one of the highest infection rate countries in the year of 2022 as recently the U.S. government listed New Zealand as "very high risk destinations".

Lisa said the potential travellers abroad are still uncertain about the pandemic situation in New Zealand as Omicron is still widespread in the country, but traders have prepared themselves for international visitors.