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During the closures of COVID-19, Australia and New Zealand came up with the concept of a travel bubble. An international agreement that would allow people to go to certain selected countries without having to quarantine. This would help nations that are heavily dependent on tourism.
Ones that have been hit especially hard by coronavirus restrictions to get some of the money they badly need. Different country in Asia like Thailand and Indonesia were thinking about forming travel bubbles last year but because outbreaks kept popping up in different places at different times the bubbles didn't materialize. But one has been established in the first two countries to propose it.
ANGUS WATSON: A travel bubble are opening between Australia and New Zealand on Monday with the first of 140 flights planned this week across the Tasman Sea with no passengers having to quarantine on arrival. That offer previously was available to New Zealand as traveling into Australia.
Now New Zealand returns the favor making that one-way travel corridor into a two-way travel bubble. New Zealand says that will mean billions for its economy with Australian tourist dollar targeted. And of course families split by these border closures for over a year will be reunited again.
Both countries entering into this agreement tentatively, each say that they're willing to pop this travel bubble if there is an outbreak of COVID-19 on either side of the Tasman Strait. Both countries have success with that, sort of, strictness when it comes to COVID-19.
Just around 2,500 places in New Zealand since the pandemic began and just under 30,000 in Australia. That platform means the countries want to extend these travel bubbles further into the region. New Zealand wants to incorporate Pacific islanders into its travel bubble. Australia has earmarked Singapore as a potential country that it could have a travel bubble with.
