New Zealand to ‘welcome the world back’ as tourism restarts

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says her nation is “ready to welcome the world back” with most tourists allowed to return by May as the nation continues to ease its coronavirus restrictions. The announcement bought forward the date that tourists from countries including the U.S., Canada, Britain and much of Europe can visit from the previously announced date of October. International tourism used to account for about 20% of New Zealand’s foreign income and more than 5% of GDP. Over the past couple of weeks, New Zealand has been reporting about 20,000 new virus cases each day, its biggest outbreak since the pandemic began. But experts expect the omicron outbreak to fade quickly from its peak.