Transtasman travel bubble: Entrepreneur calls for Government to reassure nervous Australian travellers

Veronika Vermeulen, owner of Aroha New Zealand Tours. Photo / Supplied

The owner of Aroha New Zealand Tours says the Perth lockdown has created an unnecessary bout of nervousness for transtasman travel.

Veronika Vermeulen says any reluctance to travel to New Zealand will cost local operators and the Government needs to do more to squash Australians' fears about being locked down or forced into quarantine.

The entrepreneur believes worries about outbreak measures are contributing to fewer Australians travelling compared to what the tourism industry was expecting, albeit early days.

"The latest lockdown in Perth has created another bout of nervousness for transtasman travel, but it shouldn't. There are stringent protocols and practices in place, with the chance of Australians getting stuck in New Zealand for prolonged periods very remote. That message now needs to be resourced and put out there before it costs more Kiwi businesses and jobs," Vermeulen said.

"Winter will be crunch time and it's absolutely critical for the likes of Queenstown that we maximise inbound numbers. The New Zealand Government needs to urgently educate prospective Australian travellers that the transtasman bubble is working like clockwork and getting locked down in New Zealand is highly unlikely."

With many travel and tourism operators just hanging on, the transtasman bubble announcement in early April was an uplifting moment for the industry. However, with the April school holidays now over for all Australian states, she said it was time for the Government to issue a reassurance to Australians.

"We mustn't let down our guard with Covid-19, but let's not also forget we are leading the world in best practice and tight management of this transtasman bubble. It's urgent that our Government now educates and reminds Australians that New Zealand is a very safe bet."