There's a few things about tourism.
1. Even if the borders were open and we had the same sort of covid restrictions that they have overseas tourist numbers would be well down on normal and they'll struggle.
2. About as many kiwis go overseas as foreigners come here so closed borders means more domestic money goes into tourism (a lot of tourism businesses are doing well and the great walks sold out in a record time). It would be interesting to know how a reduction in income from open borders (with reduced international travel demand and added domestic covid restrictions) compares to the reduction in income from closing borders but having local tourists and more freedoms. I'd imagine it's not as cut and dry as you think.
3. Tourism, as it has been run, is unsustainable, unless airlines fine some sort of scalable green technology, they were going to have to change the way they opperate anyway. This is a good opportunity to use government funding to re-structure the industry.
1. Even if the borders were open and we had the same sort of covid restrictions that they have overseas tourist numbers would be well down on normal and they'll struggle.
2. About as many kiwis go overseas as foreigners come here so closed borders means more domestic money goes into tourism (a lot of tourism businesses are doing well and the great walks sold out in a record time). It would be interesting to know how a reduction in income from open borders (with reduced international travel demand and added domestic covid restrictions) compares to the reduction in income from closing borders but having local tourists and more freedoms. I'd imagine it's not as cut and dry as you think.
3. Tourism, as it has been run, is unsustainable, unless airlines fine some sort of scalable green technology, they were going to have to change the way they opperate anyway. This is a good opportunity to use government funding to re-structure the industry.
As long as flights are not overly more expensive than pre Covid, the flight journey itself is not too difficult (ie normal routes via LA, Singers, Dubai etc are open) and overseas tourists can arrive in NZ without 2 weeks MIQ - they will come. NZ's low Covid cases will make it feel even safer and more attractive than ever.
And whilst closed borders have forced many Kiwis to look to home rather than overseas for their holidays, that will wane quickly for many. The person who gets their exciting travel kick out of 3 weeks in Paris or Tuscancy or Thailand - may rather spend that $20K on a home reno/spa, finding anything NZ has to offer is not really for them - or they have really done it all before in small Aotearoa.