News

With New Zealand now reopening to the world and MIQ winding down, the MIQ voucher booking system is being decommissioned, says Head of MIQ Chris Bunny.

The last remaining MIQ facility in Rotorua is to be used to support the community during the current Omicron outbreak. The Sudima Rotorua Managed Isolation Facility will be available to support community cases from Tuesday 22 March 2022 until the end of May.

The Government has agreed that unvaccinated New Zealand citizens, and those who are eligible to travel to New Zealand do not need to enter MIQ or to self-isolate. This change takes effect from 11.59pm on Friday 18 March.

Tourism businesses in the 5 South Island communities most reliant on international visitors will be able to apply for support from the $49 million Tourism Kick-start Fund initiative on 1 April.

MIQ can today announce which facilities are set to leave its network by the end of June.

32 facilities will reduce to 4 by the end of June, and the workforce in them will change too, with workers from Defence Force, Health, Aviation Security and other agencies returning to their home organisations for redeployment.

The Tourism Infrastructure Fund is now open for applications from councils to address infrastructure needs related to tourism.

The Events Transition Support Payment scheme (ETSP), introduced in November 2021 to give event organisers financial certainty to host large scale events over summer, will be extended from 4 April 2022 to 31 January 2023 and expanded to include business events.

The Government has announced its plans to gradually reopen New Zealand’s border this year.

The Maritime Security Strategy: Te Kaitiakitanga o Tangaroa ensures New Zealand has a maritime security sector that is able to continue to secure New Zealand’s marine economic, cultural and environmental interests for future generations.