New Zealand is now opening its borders to the rest of the world. Starting August 1, students and tourists will return to the country for the first time since the start of the corona pandemic in March 2020.

In February, New Zealand began slowly opening its borders to the outside world through a five-stage process. The final phase ended at midnight on Monday, August 1. 

– It feels great, we're going to see our family after almost two years. I'm going to meet my nephew for the first time, says a traveler returning home at the country's airport.

The country has been fully or partially closed since the start of the pandemic in 2020, which has hit the country's business sector hard. 

– It has been a well-planned and cautious process that has been underway since February, where we, together with the rest of the world, have managed a global pandemic and worked to keep our people safe, said the country's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a speech during the China Business Summit in Auckland.

International students return

The country's international tourism and student industries have been particularly hard hit. Before the pandemic, international students brought in a staggering SEK 31 billion per year to New Zealand, a figure that fell to a fifth last year. 

The country's cruise ships are also now returning to the country's ports, something the country's Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said. 

“Most cruise visits occur during the country’s warmer months between October and April, and summer is our biggest tourist season overall. This means the industry will be in full swing going forward,” he tells VOA News.

Source: SVT.SE