Covid-19: Cook Islands tourism operators frustrated with new travel policy
Wednesday, 15 September 2021
There are mixed feelings from Cook Islands tourism operators about the new travel policy allowing only fully vaccinated tourists on to the islands when travel can resume safely with New Zealand.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown announced on Tuesday they would only accept vaccinated travellers into Rarotonga and only when New Zealand has gone 14 days without a community case of Covid-19.
Brown said the Cook Islands was not ready to live with Covid-19 just yet.
“As one of the few countries in the world that has managed to keep Covid-19 out, we do not want to do anything to jeopardise the safety of our people,” Brown said.
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“While we acknowledge that at some point in the future all countries will need to learn to live with Covid-19, that time has not yet come.
“We do not want an outbreak here. The impact on our health resources as well as our economy would be devastating.”
Resort operator Tata Crocombe, the managing director of the four-star The Rarotongan, was frustrated with the new travel policy.
The Rarotongan took the lead in August when it only accepted vaccinated guests into its establishments.
Crocombe was part of a group of tourism operators that proposed for travel to open to New Zealand in alert level 2 to fully vaccinated tourists who produced a mandatory pre-departure negative test 72 hours before a flight.
They proposed for travel out of Christchurch, a place that has had remained Covid-free for months.
“We are looking at December, at the very earliest, to see any tourists,” Crocombe said.
He said tourism operators were losing $50 million a month and had suffered for 18 months because of border closures.
“It is becoming very unsustainable and it is hugely disappointing that what we put forward was not considered.
“It is about finding a common ground, reflecting all aspects of the community. The Cook Islands economy relies heavily on tourism and we are losing out. This is not economically sustainable.”
The Cook Islands Tourism Corporation’s general manager for Australasia, Graeme West, said the travel policy was a logical step.
“We see different airlines around the world only carrying vaccinated travellers. Qantas has been very open about this, we have not heard from Air New Zealand yet but this is for the safety of Cook Islanders.
“Many people are longing to get to our tropical paradise for a break. Knowing what the new requirements are likely to be allows them to get vaccinated and prepare for the border reopening.”
West said they hoped direct flights to the Cook Islands could open from Christchurch but nothing was confirmed.
An Air New Zealand spokesperson said operating to Rarotonga from another New Zealand airport was possible but this would need approval by the Cook Islands Government.
Brown said they were considering all options for future travel into the island but for now the newly announced travel policy stays.
His Cabinet would continue to review new information and advice from its health authorities when vaccination numbers increased in New Zealand.
Pacific health expert Dr Collin Tukuitonga said the travel policy was smart.
He said Cook Islands should maintain surveillance testing and all public health measures when travel resumes.
“Even vaccinated people can transmit the virus, it is very uncommon but it can happen.
“It is great that only vaccinated people can travel to the Cooks but continue testing, we can’t be certain that people going in and out are virus-free.”