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https://theconversation.com/without-stricter-conditions-nz-should-be-in-no-hurry-to-reopen-its-border-to-cruise-ships-181607>
"With the arrival in Sydney of the cruise liner Pacific Explorer on Monday – a
giant “WE’RE HOME” sign emblazoned on her bow – the pressure is on New Zealand
to match Australia and reopen our maritime border to cruise ships.
Chief executive of the New Zealand Cruise Association, Kevin O’Sullivan, called
on the government to “stop mucking around”, before leaving to attend an
international cruise conference in Miami next week when he would prefer to know
when borders will open again.
The government, meanwhile, is awaiting advice from health officials. So the
questions now are: should New Zealand rush to welcome back cruise ships, or
should the international cruise industry be given a set of conditions on which
any readmission would be contingent?
The world has changed in the past two years. The tourism minister has
repeatedly stated there will be no return to the old ways and that the country
must make “structural change for regenerative tourism”.
The aim is to align post-pandemic tourism with the government’s Living
Standards Framework. The new tourism should enrich Aotearoa New Zealand’s four
kinds of capital: natural, financial, social and human/cultural.
To date, little evidence of such structural change exists. Instead, there have
been isolated responses to specific tourism management issues – the Milford
Opportunities Project and tighter regulation of freedom camping are two
examples.
But given its environmental and economic record, the cruise industry should
also be subject to close scrutiny before the maritime border reopens."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
