The government’s announcement of the quarantine-free suspension will lead to thousands of cancellations within the hospitality industry, says Hospitality New Zealand.
The eight-week pause in the travel bubble with Australia is having an immediate impact on hospitality bookings, with some operators saying it is devastating.
Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Julie White says the suspension’s impacts on the hospitality and accommodation sectors are being felt immediately.
“Hospitality operators’ first priority is the safety of their people, community and whanau. Balancing the health risk and economic impacts comes at a cost to the hospitality and accommodation industry,” she says.
“’There goes our winter’, was a reaction from one Queenstown operator.”
White says the reality is the impact and effects will be felt throughout New Zealand.
“This is not what the industry needs right now. I am also concerned with the toll this is having on people in the industry, and the onset of COVID-fatigue,” she says.
“Hospitality New Zealand understands and supports the Government’s rationale to restrict the entry of COVID into our communities from Australia off the back of the Delta variant outbreak.
“The suspension of the trans-Tasman travel bubble is one of the Government’s leavers to keep New Zealanders safe by ensuring our country can continue to operate domestically and remain at Alert Level 1.”
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