Queenstown tourism promoters say the Government's decision to force visitors coming to New Zealand to do seven-day isolation continues to "kick a little bit more of the stuffing" out of the tourism industry in the region.
Destination Queenstown chief executive Paul Abbot told Newshub that since Wednesday's announcement, the region has lost several millions of dollars from cancellations.
He wants the isolation requirement to be reconsidered as the risk to his community is "insignificant".
"We would like the Government to reconsider the isolation period that is linked to those overseas visitors," Abbot says. "If they are coming in and they're double-vaxxed and they're having pre-departure and post-arrival tests as well, we believe the risk to this community is insignificant and therefore there should be a pathway forward."
On Wednesday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins outlined the country's reopening plan. From April 30 onwards, fully vaccinated international visitors will be able to travel to New Zealand - but they must self-isolate at home for seven days.
The Government is worried about the impact of even one case getting through, after the Delta strain was transported to New Zealand in August via a traveller from Sydney.
"There is significant risk with international returnees if there are no border protocols in place at all and we do know that when we reopen there will be a large number looking to return home," Ardern told reporters on Wednesday.
"Keep in mind, in the past all of our returnees have been coming to Auckland. With the changes that we will be making, they will be returning to all parts of New Zealand, so we have a duty to make sure we do that very carefully and that we reduce cases."
Prime Minister Jacinida Ardern said modelling she's seen shows tens of thousands of arrivals per week from Australia once the changes are in place.
"I don't think it's fair to extrapolate just from the numbers we have at the moment," she says. "We will expect a larger number to travel because there won't be the constraint of MIQ."
Abbot claimed Queenstown could lose up to $3.5 million from businesses cancelling trips, also saying hotels will lose up to $1.5 million of lost business in the period up to July.
"A lot of these conference and incentive markets book well in advance but they also book when they are confident," Abbot told Newshub.
"The announcements are obviously brilliant at confirming a date, but the side condition relating particularly to the isolation period just throw that right out the window because no one in their right mind coming out of Australia, which is the key market we are talking about here is going to want to tack on another seven-day hotel stay just to come to Queenstown for their incentives. So that is the biggest issue."
He says "it's another nail in the coffin in an industry that is already getting pushed to its knees".
"It's just absolutely gut-wrenching," he says. "These guys are all small businesses in their own right, they put their heart and soul into the business.
"They're working hard, keeping staff. So this guy in particular has kept his full complement of staff and he's actually trying to find more staff because he is that bullish about the industry and every time something like this happens it kicks a little bit more of the stuffing out of you."
