Rosemary’s desire and determination to travel – she sets off on May 19 for five weeks – is indicative of the demand Christchurch travel consultants are dealing with since restrictions lifted.
“Rosemary’s journey touches on the many challenges there’s been for family members not being able to reunite for special events,” said House of Travel Upper Riccarton joint managing director Dalwyn Sinclair.
“Grandparents that have grandchildren born in different parts of the world which they haven’t met or seen yet is a very common theme since the removal of the MIQ requirement.”
The demand for tropical getaways is also growing ahead of winter, with Rarotonga and Fiji popular destinations.
“Kiwis are not looking forward to spending a third winter in New Zealand. Bookings to Fiji rose 160 per cent over what they were before the MIQ announcement,” Sinclair said.
“You do have fears but I’ll be wearing my good mask, I’ll be sanitising to try and keep safe,” she said.
Flight Centre Travel group general manager, leisure brands, Heidi Watson was upbeat, revealing a recruitment drive targeting experienced consultants is under way and Christchurch’s four locations could grow.
“We’ve seen an increase of 35 per cent in bookings in our Christchurch stores since the self-isolation requirements were removed for returning travellers,” she said.
“When you compare it to an average day in March last year, that’s a 190 per cent increase.”
She said there were about 1200 staff nationwide before the pandemic spread, with numbers now reduced to less than 500, so the removal of restrictions was imperative.
“It’s great to be planning positive trips, during that period of Covid you really had to have a serious reason to be travelling,” she said.
Rosemary, of course, fits into both categories.
“It’ll be a special moment,” she said of her long-awaited reunion with her mother.
“If I can give her a big cuddle and a hug it’ll be great.”
"We have now received guidance that it is safe to significantly bring forward the next stage of border reopening work, bringing back our tourists," Ardern said today.
"In short, we're ready to welcome the world back."
Ardern said the border was already open to New Zealanders - and eligible critical workers are now allowed in without isolating.
New Zealand will open its border to vaccinated Australians from April 13, and from May 2 for people arriving from visa waiver countries, such as the UK and US, and people with valid visitor visas.
