Under current settings, holidaymakers from Australia and other eligible countries will not arrive until about July, while no date has been set for when self-isolation requirements will end.
Director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield told media on Friday the had given some initial advice to the Government pointing out the public health risk was now higher in the community than from those coming across the border - who still had to self-isolate for seven days.
Queenstown Expeditions managing director Ewen McCammon said some businesses would not last until July, but if the Government opened borders within the next month, that might change.
"If it was to open in the next month, it’d be huge ... The tourism industry and hospitality as well, we’re the ones paying the bill,” Mr McCammon said.
"Most companies don’t have the cash reserves anymore because they’ve already gone for two years trying to get through.”
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult, who has been lobbying the Government for borders to open and for self-isolation requirements to lapse, said he would be disappointed if the Government did not act soon.
"The reasons for keeping that border closed are diminishing at a rapid rate.
"I’ll keep on talking to government until I’m satisfied that our [local] economy has a path towards recovery."
Altitude Tours director Nigel Hobbs said he wanted the Government to understand what operators "on the ground” were going through.
Business through Covid had been a ‘‘disaster".
"The last year we’ve been around 75% down on normal revenue and with our luxury brand, which is called Black, we’ve been trading between 90 and 95% down ... so we can’t wait for the borders to be open.”
Holidaymakers would not return until self-isolation requirements were lifted.
Highview Apartments Queenstown and Marina Terrace Apartments Wanaka general manager Carlyn Topp said the company was doing all it could to survive, including trimming prices, limiting services and cutting hours. Rooms would not fill until the self-isolation requirement was lifted.
Other parts of the business were propping up its tourism arm.
Staffing shortages could be addressed by March 13, when some fully vaccinated overseas workers would be able to return.
