The Cook Islands will be "open for business" to New Zealanders from the beginning of May, regardless of whether a travel bubble is in place.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, who has been in the country meeting with New Zealand officials all week, says without the bubble, the country's economy is in freefall.
Speaking on Breakfast today, he says without addressing the issue now, the country faces greater difficulty in its recovery over the coming years.
"Every month that passes, our GDP decreases," Brown says.
"We're losing a million dollars a day in revenue, lost revenue from our tourism industry."
The country's once-bustling economy had seen it upgraded to a high-income status in the eyes of the OECD last year, just months before "the rug was pulled out from under [their] feet" due to Covid-19.
They've been operating a one-way bubble for Cook Islands citizens and work permit holders since January this year, but from May 1 the Cook Islands is opening up to all Kiwis, Brown says.
A Covid-19 contact tracing app was rolled out last week, similar to New Zealand’s, so they can track visitors’ movements if and when they arrive.
Dr John Dunn has flown there for the last 15 years for work and says without tourism, the nation is suffering. (Source: Other)
Brown's spent his week-long trip to New Zealand in talks with the Government about setting a start date for the much-anticipated travel bubble.
"Now we've provided a date, a start date from when our country is ready to receive New Zealanders," Brown says.
"We don't own the airlines, we don't own the businesses, as I said we can't tell Kiwis what to do. It's up to them but we will be ready to receive them."
It's yet to be confirmed by the New Zealand Government whether Kiwis who head over to the Cook Islands one their borders reopen will be able to return back without going through managed isolation.
As the Cook Islands waits in desperation for holidaymakers, Brown says it's prompted a sharp shift in his residents up and leaving for work in New Zealand.
Due to Cook Islanders holding New Zealand citizenship, businesses have turned to the island nation to help ease the country's dire labour shortages.
In recent months, it's seen roughly 300 Cook Islanders move away, causing concern they may not come back even after the pandemic ends.
"There's a labour shortage here in New Zealand so we've got companies actively recruiting Cook Islanders," Brown says.
"That may not seem like a huge number but if we put it into a New Zealand context, that's equivalent to 25,000 Kiwis going off to Australia to work monthly."
Brown says he's in ongoing discussions with the New Zealand Government as well as officials and local businesses back in the Cook Islands about the likelihood of a travel corridor by next month.
SHARE ME