Queenstown’s tourism industry was one of the hardest hit when Covid-19 closed our borders but the travel bubble with Australia, which saw its first quarantine free travellers today means things are looking up. Video / James Allan / Queenstown Airport
The first Australian travellers to set foot in Queenstown in more than a year were greeted with live music, entertainment and the offer of a free bungy jump.
Qantas QF121 was scheduled to land at Queenstown Airport at 2.30pm today, 387 days since the last commercial passenger flight landed inthe resort.
Queenstown Airport chief executive Colin Keel said they are very excited to be welcoming Australian travellers back to the city.
"It is such a milestone event, we wanted to appropriately recognise it. We wanted to make visitors from Australia feel very welcome and show we are really pleased to see them back and look forward to hosting them."
The visitors will be greeted with live music and entertainment in the terminal.
"We've had about 95 businesses across Queenstown and Wanaka who have donated prizes and we're doing a spin to win of those prizes over the course of this afternoon," Keel said.
Qantas 121 from Sydney arriving in Queenstown this afternoon. Photo / James Allan
The first visitors will also be offered a free bungy jump off of the Kawarau Bridge.
Keel said it was AJ Hackett, of AJ Hackett Bungy, that approached them with the idea.
"They asked whether we would be up for it and we said absolutely. it's really Queenstown Airport and AJ Hackett saying, for some of our first visitor's, lets give them a chance to jump off of the famous bridge."
They are expecting about 20 transtasman flights per week in the first few weeks.
"That will likely build up to over 60 transtasman flights going into ski season. It is quite a significant amount of activity."
The only international flights through Queenstown Airport are from Australia and they are all green zone flights, meaning passengers have been separated from those needing to complete mandatory quarantine.
