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Trans-Tasman bubble bursts as New South Wales records spike in new COVID-19 casesTrans-Tasman bubble bursts as New South Wales records spike in new COVID-19 cases

The trans-Tasman bubble for air travel that was engineered by former Carnival Australia Chairman and still-adviser Ann Sherry and the Australian New Zealand Leadership Forum has burst.

Helen Hutcheon, Australasia correspondent

July 23, 2021

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

From midnight (New Zealand time) July 23, the New Zealand government has suspended travel between the two countries for at least two months.

National emergency

This follows a spike of 136 new cases of COVID-19 in New South Wales on July 23 that Premier Gladys Berejiklian said could be regarded as a ‘national emergency.’

Queensland’s border 

Queensland closed its border with New South Wales on July 23, following Victoria and South Australia.

‘Since we set up quarantine-free travel with Australia some months ago, more than 200,000 people have flown between our two countries,’ New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

However, she said the director-general of health had recommended, and Cabinet had agreed to, the travel suspension.

Sherry said the ANZLF committee, which included health and border force officials from both sides of the Tasman and peak tourism bodies, had only reached agreement for air transport.

‘All elements’ of tourism

However, she said at the time that it would be raising ‘all the elements of tourism.’

Seatrade Cruise News understands several cruise companies have been looking at the trans-Tasman bubble for future deployments.

About the Author

Helen Hutcheon

Australasia correspondent

Helen Hutcheon did her cadetship on a shipping magazine and worked in P&O’s Sydney office for seven years as a public relations journalist.

For 19 years she was deputy editor of Travel Week, which was Australia’s leading trade newspaper that covered major local and international industry events.

In 2008 the late legendary Rama Rebbapragada presented her with an award from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd ‘in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the cruising industry.’

In 2010 she won the Neil Frazer Award for ‘outstanding contribution to the cruise industry,’ elevating her to CLIA Australasia’s hall of fame.

She has been the Australasia correspondent for Seatrade Cruise Review since 1997 and for Seatrade Insider (now Seatrade Cruise News) since its launch in 2000.

 

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