| NZCA update 01 Jul 21

WITH Kevin O’Sullivan CEO, NZCA – Vaccination the key: Australia and New Zealand have had to focus on regional and nationwide responses to outbreaks of COVID-19.

This changed everything, not just in tourism but in everyday life, with so many restrictions imposed, and brought to the surface the fears we have had engrained in our psyche.

So much depends on both countries improving our woefully inadequate vaccination roll out.

The New York Times publishes a list of countries’ vaccination rates, and you have to scroll a long way down to find Australia, and even further to find NZ.

Our earlier response to COVID-19 had been regarded by many as the best in the world.

But when it comes to vaccinations the wheels have fallen off.

There are very good reasons advanced by government for this, but we need to do much better if we are to move towards economic recovery in tourism.

Until we see a greater degree of vaccination in our two countries we are resigned to very little happening in cruising in Australian waters and around New Zealand.