Cook Islands travel bubble is approaching, but depends on no community broadcast

By Jonathan Mitchell of RNZ

New Zealanders could be lounging on a Rarotongan beach this summer as the momentum of a travel bubble with the Cook Islands builds.

Newly appointed Cooks Prime Minister Mark Brown said formal arrangements had been made.

The only barrier seems to be for each country to keep the community transmission free for four weeks.

Andrew Whittaker is the CEO of Island Hotels in Rarotonga, and he has a couple of beachfront resorts ready and waiting for New Zealand travelers.

“Our locals have looked after us as much as they can, but it is very important now that we see some international visitors return,” he said.

The Cook Islands have not reported Covid-19 cases.

Talks to create a travel bubble from Auckland to Rarotonga were well under way in July, and New Zealand Foreign Ministry officials would travel to the Cook Islands for final checks.

But the brakes were quickly put on after a Covid-19 cluster emerged in Auckland.

Brown was sworn in as the Cooks’ new prime minister last week and was eager to get things back on track.

He has already been on the phone with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to discuss some of the travel bubble plans.

Brown was upbeat, saying there are still some technical points to work out and officials need to evaluate various protocols.

But Ardern said a travel bubble depended on no community broadcasting in both countries for 28 days.

“Twenty-eight days, but also making sure that we have a clear separation for passengers … once everything is in place, yes, we will be ready to open,” he said.

That’s music to the ears of New Zealanders who were eager to get on a plane.

The president of the Association of Travel Agents, Brent Thomas, said there was a pent-up demand for travel abroad.

“It has only a relatively small number of places that people can stay … but we know there are New Zealanders who are definitely eager to go to the Cook Islands,” he said.

However, Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult said it would be a disaster.

“I would rather travel bubbles in Australasia and the [Pacific] The islands should be considered as a bubble that applies to the islands, Australia and New Zealand.

“That would give us the possibility for Australians to come here to replace the domestic market that will inevitably go to the Islands,” he said.

Last week, Australia announced a one-way travel bubble through Tasmania: New Zealanders will be able to visit New South Wales and the Northern Territory without being quarantined from 16 October.

But the same won’t apply here: Anyone arriving in New Zealand must complete two weeks of controlled isolation.

Things are looking more rosy for the Pacific: With no community broadcast in Aotearoa for 11 days, hopes for a travel bubble to the Cook Islands in time for the Christmas holidays remain alive and well.

– RNZ