Coronavirus

Road damage affecting access and the coronavirus outbreak have taken a toll.

Australia will be the immediate focus to help fill the gap created by the China travel ban.

Air New Zealand will reduce capacity on its Shanghai and Hong Kong routes as a result of the impact of coronavirus on demand.

Tourism NZ will get $10m and some RTOs will share $1m to help tackle the impacts of Covid-19.

The extension now runs until Monday 24 February and will be reviewed every 48 hours.

New Zealand has an opportunity to tap into Australia’s outbound Asian market as it looks to plug the estimated $500m gap left by the coronavirus, according to tourism academic Dr David Beirman.

Work to redirect resources into other international markets as well as the domestic is also under way, says Ardern.

Permanent damage only done if containment continues for a couple of years, says the bank.

Market watchers are anticipating in-depth reports about how tourism companies are coping with coronavirus and the financial impact they expect.

Auckland University of Technology’s senior lecturer in economics, Dr Rahul Sen, explains why New Zealand is more exposed than others to the economic chills of China’s coronavirus outbreak.

Law firm Anderson Lloyd on force majeure, insurance and employment obligations.

Industry could lose more than half-a-billion dollars over the next two months from the missing Chinese visitor market, says Stephen England-Hall.

Operators are turning to strategies to help tide them over as cancellations reach 20k.

Auckland Airport is asking for patience as new travel restrictions and flight disruptions mean it is taking more time for arriving travellers to clear border formalities.

This event attracts around 200k visitors but has been cancelled because of concerns over coronavirus.

Total arrivals could fall by 11% with other Asian markets taking a big hit, says the bank.

Hotel operators are taking a flexible approach to the refund of deposits due to coronavirus cancellations, with a long-term view on the Chinese market often prevailing.

Hastings District Council has delayed its Amazing China-Hastings Year of Tourism competition because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The move could reduce to a trickle the 40k-50k visitors expected from China this Feb.

Online travel agencies have invoked ‘force majeure’ conditions suggesting New Zealand accommodation providers should return cancellation deposits from travellers affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

The Auckland suburb of Northcote has cancelled its annual Chinese and Korean New Year Festival due to concerns about the coronavirus.

Around 20% of the potential market has cancelled already with more expected in coming days.

Air New Zealand says it is temporarily reducing its Shanghai services because of an expected drop in demand for travel between New Zealand and China.

Travel to and from New Zealand is suffering as the outbreak is declared a global health emergency.

The Government-led Visitor Sector Emergency Advisory Group has stood up to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

TNZ’s CEO during the 2003 crisis on what can be applied to today’s coronavirus outbreak. 

Operators are also being urged to process cancellations with “understanding” to help secure future business.

NZ tourism is now more exposed to falls in the Chinese market than it was in the SARS crisis of 2003, says ASB.

The sector is bracing for the impact of the outbreak although estimates vary on its longterm effect.

A suspected case is being investigated in Queenstown as Jim Boult warns against “racism and xenophobia”.

NZX-listed tourism companies are starting to feel the effects of the outbreak.

Operators are urged to inform TNZ of cancellations so it can collate and share information.

The Chinese Govt ban on outbound tours will hit a significant proportion of NZ’s second-largest source market.

Passengers arriving on flights from China will be met by public health staff from today.

The pandemic group will determine whether “active surveillance measures” are needed at NZ’s airports.