Photo: Getty Images/FileOn the eve of quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel starting between Australia and New Zealand, tourism industry figures say bookings are already strong. Flights between Australia and Auckland would increase ten-fold with travel bubble's opening, Auckland Airport chief executive Adrian Littlewood said. The airline's chief executive Greg Foran said the reopening was a significant turning point for the company and marked "day one of our revival". Destination Rotorua chief executive Andrew Wilson said the bubble could build a slow burn in demand for accommodation and strengthen later in the year. "We're expecting that the first wave of people will be reuniting family and friends, and then we'll start to see bookings pick up from there."

Source: Otago Daily Times April 18, 2021 09:22 UTC