New Zealand throwing open its borders after more than two years — and there may never be a better time to visit.
Tourism operators have rehired guides, dusted out souvenir shops, and gotten ready to welcome back international visitors beginning May 2, so long as they can produce proof of vaccination and a negative pre-departure test. But they don’t expect a rapid return to the old normal, when hordes of foreigners packed the most popular sites and stretched infrastructure to the breaking point.
In fact, the government wants to move away from the mass tourism that trampled New Zealand’s pristine landscapes before the pandemic. It’s considering charging foreigners to visit unique areas, and wants to entice more high-spending guests who will stay longer and pay for special experiences. The changes under discussion echo those implemented across the Pacific in Hawaii, where tourists pay fees to visit fragile natural sites in an effort to make tourism more sustainable.
