Travel between New Zealand and Australia will likely be off-limits until July at the earliest, sparking fears for survival among businesses in New Zealand's tourism sector.
Some Kiwi tourism operators believe that the current support offered by the Government is inadequate compared the to what is on offer across the ditch.
Daniel Painter, CEO of Wild Kiwi Adventure Tours, believes his Australian tourism counterparts are far better off.
"I wish we were a business based in Australia. I wish we were an Australian company not a New Zealand company because we would have a couple of hundred thousand dollars of liquidity injected into us via the liquidity loans that they have."
So far the New Zealand Government is offering interest free loans and tax rebates to small and medium business. Australia is doing the same but it is also handing out cash grants of up to $100,000.
Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis argues the wage subsidies are effectively cash grants to businesses.
Dr Elena Konovalov of CQ University suggests that focusing on domestic customers is the solution to staying afloat.
"Local is the key. Sourcing your suppliers locally making sure you target local communities with your products thinking and adjusting and pivoting what you've been doing," she said.
Painter says he doesn't have much faith in attracting Kiwi customers.
"How do we get youth travellers who are New Zealanders, wanting to go on a tour bus? It's a pretty hard pivot in this instance. So yeah there has been no support what so ever."
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