Labour is hurting tourism in the Bay of Plenty, says Seymour

Act Party leader David Seymour believes the Government's reopening plan will "basically kill" the Bay of Plenty's tourism industry.

During a visit to Tauranga on Thursday, Seymour criticised the Government, saying in his view it was not "managing and balancing risk" in its reopening plan.

But Tauranga-based Labour list MP Jan Tinetti said the Government wanted to avoid flip-flopping between restrictions.

Seymour said he believed the three-stage border opening, announced by the government on November 24, was too slow and too gradual.

"A lot of the Bay of Plenty is a beautiful place to be – it's got a great climate, great beaches, people come here as tourists. And yet, we've basically kneecapped the tourism industry indefinitely."

According to him, making tourists isolate for seven days would only delay tourism's recovery and put New Zealand behind the rest of the world.

"An area that's got so much to offer tourists like the Bay of Plenty is really going to miss out."

David Seymour said the government's border reopening will cause the Bay of Plenty to "miss out." Photo / George Novak

Act List MP James McDowall, the party's tourism spokesman, said the industry needed certainty.

"The sector (tourism) is struggling enormously," he said.

"Tourism providers have got literally no one coming, and hotels up and down the country don't know when they can possibly start accepting tourists."

Blair Anderson, owner of the Waimarino Water and Adventure Park, agreed with McDowall.

He believed the Government needed to be open to creative problem solving to help tourism recover.

"We're meant to be going into our busiest period ever, and right now that is not occurring."

For example, he questioned why the Government would not allow him to administer antigen testing and admit non-vaccinated visitors who tested negative.

"The traffic light system is unclear," said Anderson.

"We will have an increase in people because there are a large number of people getting vaccinated - but it is very difficult for everybody.

"It might be easier for me to close and lay everyone off. But hey, the Government's already doing that with teachers and doctors and nurses."

Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Oscar Nathan said the Government's clear dates for reopening was what the industry had been waiting for.

But, he still hoped there would be changes to the plan.

"There are clearly areas we would have preferred were not so rigid and deferred in terms of quarantine conditions and dates."

He said in his view the seven-day quarantine for tourists "does seem somewhat excessive", but remains a long way off.

"We are hopeful these dates and conditions may improve or shorten between now and then as the government has alluded to."

Amy Neale's business Kewpie Cruises would normally run seven days a week at this time of year, but is currently only running weekends.

She thought the Government's reopening plan could help.

"Yeah, I imagine it will (help her business), but you don't know. You've just gotta hope for the best."

"We all know the virus is here to stay, so there's nothing they (the government) can do about that.

Locally-based Labour list MP Jan Tinetti said the government's cautious approach will provide certainty going forward. Photo / George Novak

Tinetti agreed tourism needed certainty but believed a quick reopening would cause the opposite.

"We don't want to be flip-flopping like we're seeing countries do overseas," she said.

"We want to give our businesses, including tourism, some certainty around what is happening going forward, and at the same time keeping our country safe.

She acknowledged the frustration some were feeling, but remained committed to "putting people, all our people, at the centre of what we're doing".

She said in her view the seven-day tourist isolation protected the health system.

"We are fighting and containing community cases in this country now. We're not about to start introducing new cases of transmission (from overseas)."

While many business owners advocated for a fast and soon reopening, she felt "just as many" favoured a cautious approach.

"They (tourism businesses) can see that the end of heavily restricted travel is in sight, and that's what they need – some assurance that that's coming."