NZ - Rarotonga Travel Bubble To Be Announced Next Week Ahead Of Trans Tasman Bubble
Aug 10, 2020, 3:15 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,016
With all the talk of a Cook Islands travel bubble, I decided to do some research on the likelihood of getting there at all, even if the borders are opened. This is because I think it would be interesting to concentrate all outbound New Zealand tourist traffic on a fairly small place.
<snip>
In the 2019 calendar year, there were 171,550 international visitors to the Cook Islands, of which 114,977 (67%) were New Zealanders. Monthly arrivals ranged from 7,608 in February to 18,612 in July. New Zealand visitors intended to stay for an average of nine days.
To make some assumptions, if there was a Cook Islands travel ‘bubble’:
<snip>.
<snip>
In the 2019 calendar year, there were 171,550 international visitors to the Cook Islands, of which 114,977 (67%) were New Zealanders. Monthly arrivals ranged from 7,608 in February to 18,612 in July. New Zealand visitors intended to stay for an average of nine days.
To make some assumptions, if there was a Cook Islands travel ‘bubble’:
<snip>.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islanders
The Cook Islands does not issue its own passports, a privilege usually assumed by virtually all sovereign countries, but places this responsibility in the hands of the New Zealand Government which issues passports for New Zealand citizens who are also Cook Islands nationals.
Aug 11, 2020, 5:39 am
#36
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,414
Aug 14, 2020, 2:57 am
#37
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Philippines
Programs: CebGo 5J, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Alaska 100K
Posts: 4,696
Do the stat's make make any distinction between NZers and Cook Islanders (with NZ passports)? There will be Cook Islanders normally resident in NZ (mainly Auckland) returning for short trips and Cook Islanders going to NZ for seasonal work & school. Hotel accommodation may be an issue if a lot of people try to go to Cook Islands. Cook Islanders are likely to stay with family (not hotels)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islanders
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islanders
Learn something new everyday. Niue is also in the same situation.
"Niue is a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, and New Zealand conducts most diplomatic relations on its behalf. Niueans are citizens of New Zealand, and Queen Elizabeth II is head of state in her capacity as Queen of New Zealand. Between 90% and 95% of Niuean people live in New Zealand" - quoted from wikipedia
Last edited by davistev; Aug 14, 2020 at 3:03 am
Aug 14, 2020, 3:19 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,194
Learn something new everyday. Niue is also in the same situation.
"Niue is a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, and New Zealand conducts most diplomatic relations on its behalf. Niueans are citizens of New Zealand, and Queen Elizabeth II is head of state in her capacity as Queen of New Zealand. Between 90% and 95% of Niuean people live in New Zealand" - quoted from wikipedia
"Niue is a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, and New Zealand conducts most diplomatic relations on its behalf. Niueans are citizens of New Zealand, and Queen Elizabeth II is head of state in her capacity as Queen of New Zealand. Between 90% and 95% of Niuean people live in New Zealand" - quoted from wikipedia
Aug 14, 2020, 6:00 am
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
I think the morale of this story, is that covid is going to keep coming back. As long as we allow kiwis to come home, which of course we will, it's just too hard to guarantee it won't break through the border, it is an extremely sneaky and contagious disease.
Can the cook island border be constantly shut down every time a covid case flares up? Surely it can't. Either flare ups are mutually tolerated, or there can't be a bubble, sad to say, but as much as I would have loved it, I will live
Can the cook island border be constantly shut down every time a covid case flares up? Surely it can't. Either flare ups are mutually tolerated, or there can't be a bubble, sad to say, but as much as I would have loved it, I will live
Aug 18, 2020, 5:55 pm
#40
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 27
If you have experience of the Cooks health system, government departments and overall health status of the people of the Cooks you would appreciate why they cannot risk it getting in. Older population, diabetes and obesity rife, health services minimal, just yesterday they had to medical someone back to NZ. No open when no chance of bug getting in and when the indigenous people say so, not just when non resident big resort owners say so.
Aug 19, 2020, 1:52 pm
#41
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
I don't mind the bubble not being open. My post wasn't being snarky, it was just pointing out the facts, that either flare ups are tolerated, or we can't have a bubble, and if that means no bubble, that's fine with me! I think they should protect their own health 
Aug 19, 2020, 2:22 pm
#42
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,114
My birthday is at the start of July so I normally always leave the country because it's normally in the middle of the crappiest few weeks of Winter weather. I accepted then that if we were really lucky that I might be able to leave NZ for my birthday in 2021.
With NZ still focussed on an elimination strategy there basically exists zero chance of borders opening until a vaccine exists and we have a way of managing arrivals. NZ will remain isolated until that time.
With NZ still focussed on an elimination strategy there basically exists zero chance of borders opening until a vaccine exists and we have a way of managing arrivals. NZ will remain isolated until that time.
Aug 19, 2020, 4:52 pm
#43
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,414
It would should almost be the third referendum question this election: ”Do you support the New Zealand boarders being closed, and the hard enforcement of an elimination of COVID-19”
Aug 19, 2020, 6:42 pm
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
I support the closure. What I would like is for quarantine to become privatised like Helen Clark suggested. That way we could have a range of different quarantine options. So if we want to quarantine in an apartment, we can.
But I also can't help but think that even if it was available, I would probably not travel overseas. Traveling overseas right now is downright awful. You never know what is going to happen, how the situation could change quickly. Covid bounced back extremely fast. That level of stress just isn't something I want to deal with.
But I also can't help but think that even if it was available, I would probably not travel overseas. Traveling overseas right now is downright awful. You never know what is going to happen, how the situation could change quickly. Covid bounced back extremely fast. That level of stress just isn't something I want to deal with.
Aug 19, 2020, 7:02 pm
#45
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,645
I support the closure. What I would like is for quarantine to become privatised like Helen Clark suggested. That way we could have a range of different quarantine options. So if we want to quarantine in an apartment, we can.
But I also can't help but think that even if it was available, I would probably not travel overseas. Traveling overseas right now is downright awful. You never know what is going to happen, how the situation could change quickly. Covid bounced back extremely fast. That level of stress just isn't something I want to deal with.
But I also can't help but think that even if it was available, I would probably not travel overseas. Traveling overseas right now is downright awful. You never know what is going to happen, how the situation could change quickly. Covid bounced back extremely fast. That level of stress just isn't something I want to deal with.
Additionally a lot of cities don't want more MIQ faculties as removed accommodation space for domestic tourism.
Ideas like halls of residence don't work as don't have ensuites. Need to be 4/5 star hotels as have economies of scale for health & security staff and onsite kitchens to feed people. So where are these magical facilities where private MIQ will happen? If there is capacity why don't we already use the capacity?