Easing Of Trans-Tasman Travel To Boost Tourism

18th Aug 2014

Air travel between Australia and New Zealand would soon be much more enjoyable for passengers as the Australia's Tourism and Transport Forum has slashed down the passenger movement charge by half.

The current charge is $55 and the officials want to bring it down to $25 to make it much more affordable to tourists, as well as traders, who want to do business with their counterparts across the Tasman Sea.

With the easing of ?international passenger movement charge? Kiwi travelers to the continent is seen to increase significantly. This will further boost the tourism and trade industries of Australia, resulting to the projected income of $370 million annually for the country.

This travel reform is just one of four ways that the two governments proposed to boost the number of travelers between the two countries and even visitors coming from Asia.

The proposed common visa for Australia and New Zealand will surely make the two countries attractive to Asian visitors, and may extend their stay further to explore both countries without the hassle of applying for another visa. Thus, travel between the two countries for most Asians would become seamless and more comfortable.

There has been an existing multi-city airline pass promoted by SkyTeam, dubbed 'Go Round Asia and Southwest Pacific' which enables passengers to travel both Australia and New Zealand cities without visa restrictions as commonly practiced in travels between two countries.

Australia is considering to open up more of its regional airports for this type of travel pass to Trans-Tasman flights to spur tourism and trade outside major state capitals.

According to Rod McGeoch, the former Australian Co-Chair of the Tourism and Transport Forum, the easing of trans-Tasman travel restrictions would certainly increase trade and commerce as well as enhance relations between the two countries.

It is also proposed that the customs, immigration, and quarantine processes in the country's major airports such as Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney could be streamlined to speed up travel times spent by arriving passengers from across the Tasman Sea.

In 2013, Australian travelers passing through Brisbane heading to New Zealand outnumbered those who went to Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Fiji, and Dubai combined.