As Australia's $60 billion-a-year tourism industry reels from the global pandemic, the two country's governments have discussed plans for a 'travel bubble' that would allow travel across the Tasman without mandatory quarantine.
Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has buoyed hopes Australians would be able to travel to New Zealand again by September if the coronavirus flare-up in Victoria is brought under control.
Mr Birmingham said that Australia would be ready as soon as New Zealand was. While travel industry groups have, Mr Birmingham's comments mark the first time the Australian government has backed that as a viable timeline. New Zealand was the most popular destination for Australian travellers prior to COVID-19, with 1.5 million trips across the Tasman in 2019, which accounted for 40 per cent of all visitors to New Zealand.
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