kiwifrequentflyer

I only just saw this article. Great news and an interesting read. When talk of this bubble started emerging, it was just a pipe dream. But now, organisations are genuinely working to prepare for it to be a reality:

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2020/05/coronavirus-what-a-trans-tasman-bubble-could-look-like.amp.html

Obviously it would be up to the governments to decide their date to enact it, but the infectious disease expert mused that 28 days with no new cases excluding incoming traveler cases might be what's required to do it and that we could be there in 2 months.

Fiji and the Pacific Islands are apparently lobbying hard to be apart of this too.

kiwicyclo

I am picking there will be a Raro / Niue / NZ bubble before Australia.

Australia will be hit and miss. NSW says 1st June they will be ready to open internal borders. WA say "September at the earliest". Queensland not going to be rushed in to it. Victoria opening up travel internally instead in June and probably most likely to jump on the bubble with NZ when NSW does.

Who knows. Raro sounds nice for a winter break!

nzkarit

Ardern said this morning that Aussie will most likely want to sort out internal travel first.

Though Morrison seems happy to open to NZ and just let Queensland do its own thing.

kiwifrequentflyer

With how well its going right now, I hope they don't stick to waiting for Australia to decide they are ready for us to open up Pacific Island travel. I agree, winter Raro break sounds lovely... And I already have it booked so...

cavemanzk

Yeah maybe we should show our support to another market, then surely Australia will sort it out quick once they have most that share of money we would of spent there.

DCF

The problem is that WA, SA and Queensland are safe - and ready for entry into the bubble - but Melbourne and Sydney have not extinguished community transmission.

It’s hard to see how those two cities can be allowed into the bubble.

nzkarit

But then its WA and Queensland who are the ones who really don't want to open their borders. Think both are talking not before September.

Also have to remember the latest murmurings coming out is the TT bubble won't be until September. Even if we get the framework in for what it will look like in June. One would hope that MEL and SYD are looking better by then. From what I understand is that there is a couple clusters in each and mostly seeing the infection spread through household contacts. So hopefully will see them start tending towards zero soon.

kiwifrequentflyer

Then really, I don't see why we are waiting for TT to start up before restarting travel to the Pacific Islands. We have hit out 9th day of no cases, and from what I remember the experts saying, we get to be "out of the clear" of sorts once we hit 28 days in a row. Pretty far away, but if we manage it: surely we are no longer a risk to the Pacific Islands, and travel can restart between our nations, while Australia gets itself ready for later in the year.

jawnbc

Australia's still not got things sorted like we have in NZ. Islands look more promising--especially with few/no other international pathways into those destinations.

nzkarit

What's driver for the Pacific Islands other than sphere of influence & foreign aid spend?

When we are saying spend local why get Kiwi's to spend in the Pacific Islands?

Trans Tasman has more mutual travel/flow of money. Plus there is TT business. There is much more mutual economic activity with Aussie so there are more political drivers to make it happen.

Additionally are the islands calling for it? I'm seeing comments from both sides of the Tasman asking for it. Or is that a lack of reporting of Pacific news by our media and me not following the Pacific social media?

kiwifrequentflyer

I'll be honest this is a very confusing comment.

As though it's a contest between what is better for the NZ economy, Australia or the Pacific?

I am confused, why are we even asking that question? It isn't like we get to choose one or the other. Pacific travel was going to open again once TT travel resumed. That has been announced. The Pacific Islands is also in the bubble. But since TT has been put in the back burner in Australia, then my question was, why not go ahead with Pacific travel while we wait for Australia.

It's not like we are choosing, so pointing out that Australia is the more economically important choice is... Something we can do I guess, but again, everyone knows TT is more important, but again, that's kind of a moot point... Since we aren't choosing here?

And yes, they are actually asking for it in the Pacific. Fiji has outright said we don't want foreign aid, we want independence and tourism gives us independence to earn money ourselves, so can we please restart travel ASAP once it is safe.

Opening up travel to the islands not only helps those nations as we would otherwise be sending aid anyway, but also helps give Air NZ more routes to fly, and more jobs to preserve. Plus it brings families together again. Its 100% in our interests AND their interests to open up Pacific Island travel as soon as it is safe.
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sbiddle

Opening up the Pacific Islands will help their economy. It won't help NZ (and will potentially make things worse for NZ if we have somewhere else go outside NZ and spend money rather than domestically!).

nzkarit

Suppose what to trying say the NZ business & tourism is calling louder for the Australian bubble and have the ear of Govt through Fyfe's COVID-19 business thing etc. And Peters & Media have a focus on that.

People who just want to go on holiday dont have the ear of Govt & media in the same way, so the the pressure isn't there to make that happen.

It is what it is. MFAT & MoH have limited staff & they will work on the squeakyist wheel.

The framework/principles NZ & Aussie are currently putting I guess will also be the basis for the Pacific, so may be once that comes together there will be a way to benchmark the risks from the islands. Best to get Aussie's requirements documented first, as don't want to get into a situation where have to cut a Pacific island off as it doesn't meet Aussie's requirements.

kiwifrequentflyer

The negativity in this thread is towards Pacific travel is surprising and very unexpected.

So what if resuming travel to the Pacific helps their economy far more than ours? The TT bubble also impacts us more favourably than Australia. So what? It still helps both of us, even if we get the better end of it. Same with Pacific travel. Sure, their boost is much more significant, but we get a boost too. Just because ours is smaller, does that mean we shouldn't do it? It won't hurt out economy because people will go holiday elsewhere. That amount would be a neglibile amount of potential domestic tourism lost for us (but most likely a gain, since it would be good for Air NZ, airport etc, yknow, that whole business!), but huge gained for them, given their very small population. Because here is what most people don't think about...

This isn't just about people that want to holiday. We as a nation provide aid and assistance to the Pacific Islands, which are deeply struggling. Its either this, or it is foreign aid. So this is actually a much more pressing issue than just some people wanting to holiday. So either we give aid, or we spend tourism dollars there. Either way, dollars are flowing out of the country. It might as well be done in a productive way that enables growth. Not isolationism and protectionism.

If the government has more pressing issues, I understand. I won't complain if it doesn't restart.

It would just be nice. For BOTH parties

And if it would put the TT bubble at risk, then obviously, no one wants that. Its just an odd guess to make that it would. All evidence leads to the contrary. Australia has announced they will be part of the TT bubble. So if we were to guess whether us starting travel early would be acceptable to Australia or not, the more likely answer based on current evidence, is they wouldn't mind.

But if that was wrong, then sure, do not do it. That is a given

cavemanzk

It has its benefits, and it’s negatives.

Surely people will spend money in the pacific islands, instead of somewhere in New Zealand. But it at the same time every tourist dollar spent in the Islands is an dollar less aid that will be required in the long term.

I don’t think we should be telling New Zealanders were they should be spending there holiday dollars, after all we’re an country that is typically highly crucial of countries so enforce that.