• 19 Mar 25

  NEWS
  New Zealand partners with Minecraft for world-first destination gaming content

  New Zealand has teamed up Warner Bros. Pictures to feature its gamified landscapes and experiences ...Read more
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  New Zealand partners with Minecraft for world-first destination gaming content - News & announcements

  New Zealand has teamed up Warner Bros. Pictures to feature its gamified landscapes and experiences as part of the upcoming release of ‘A Minecraft Movie.’ The film hits cinemas next month. To celebrate, New Zealand has partnered with Warner Bros. and Mojang Studios to create a world-first destination DLC (downloadable content) for Minecraft. It enables fans to ‘play’ New Zealand as a destination in the game. Prospective manuhiri (visitors) can explore a variety of real-world activities in the Minecraft Aotearoa New Zealand DLC - such as paddling a waka (canoe) in Abel Tasman, visiting glowworm caves in Waitomo, or stargazing in Tekapo. The virtual quest can be turned into a real-life dream trip to New Zealand, as users can book New Zealand’s official 100% Pure Minecraft Itinerary. Six iconic New Zealand locations star in the game, including Waitomo Caves (Waikato), Rotorua (Bay of Plenty), Kāpiti Island (Wellington), Abel Tasman (Nelson/Tasman), Tekapō (Mackenzie) and Doubtful Sound (Fiordland). The adventure activities within the game reflect Aotearoa's Māori culture, customs and natural landscapes. Another portal has also appeared in London in the form of a hand painted mural, created by Global Street Art, providing a gateway to the scene in Milford Sound. This is located at 96 Whitechapel High Street. The artwork can be scanned to learn more about the Aotearoa New Zealand DLC and access the 100% Pure Minecraft itinerary. Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy said “This is our chance to invite the world to play Aotearoa New Zealand and show just how much fun people can have here.  We want to give people an immersive taste of what New Zealand has to offer.” The DLC will launch alongside the release of the movie starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, which was filmed in New Zealand and is set to premiere in April 2025. The filming in New Zealand was made possible through the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate (NZSPR), which attracts major global productions to film and create in New Zealand. Minecraft players can download and play the Aotearoa New Zealand DLC on Xbox, PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Android and IOS mobile devices for free from the Minecraft Marketplace.

• 22 Aug 22

  NEWS
  New Zealand easing immigration rules to hire extra tourism workers

  New Zealand will temporarily relax immigration rules in order to hire thousands of extra tourism ...Read more
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  New Zealand easing immigration rules to hire extra tourism workers - News & announcements

  New Zealand will temporarily relax immigration rules in order to hire thousands of extra tourism industry workers. Immigration Minister Michael Wood said NZ will double numbers under the working holiday visa scheme. It hopes to attract at least 12,000 extra workers over the next year. "These measures are about providing immediate relief to those businesses hardest hit by the global worker shortage," Wood said. Wood said worker shortages are especially felt in the hospitality and tourism sectors that have traditionally relied on international workers.

• 14 Aug 22

  NEWS
  New Zealand celebrates return of cruising

  New Zealand has welcomed its first big cruise ship call in nearly two and a ...Read more
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  New Zealand celebrates return of cruising - News & announcements

  New Zealand has welcomed its first big cruise ship call in nearly two and a half years. The P&O Pacific Explorer docked at Queens Wharf in Auckland and, an occasion hailed by New Zealand Cruise Association CEO Kevin O'Sullivan. "It's going to be a very exciting day and it will be very exciting for the guests coming ashore as well," O'Sullivan said "We're last really to get cruise ships back so all the hard work's been done on the cruise ships a long time ago and we're getting the benefit of it." P&O spokesperson David Jones said calls to New Zealand would be ‘ramping up over the coming months.’ Twenty port calls are before Christmas, Jones said. Pacific Explorer had 1,200 guests aboard. It arrived from Sydney and is now on its way to Fiji. "Health protocols are probably tighter than any land based environment," Jones added. Passengers and crew must be fully vaccinated, and don masks when embarking and leaving the ship.  

• 01 Aug 22

  NEWS
  New Zealand fully reopens its borders

  New Zealand has officially fully reopened its borders for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, ...Read more
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  New Zealand fully reopens its borders - News & announcements

  New Zealand has officially fully reopened its borders for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, marking the return of big ship cruising. Tourists from all countries and international students are now allowed to enter. Cruise ships and foreign-flagged yachts are also welcome at ports. For most visitors, proof of vaccination is still required but there are no quarantine rules. Air travellers are required to complete two rapid tests. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called it an ‘enormous moment’ for the tourism industry. "We continue to manage a very live global pandemic, but keeping people safe extends to incomes and wellbeing too." “Our key message is that we are open for business."

• 16 Jun 22

  NEWS
  New Zealand scrapping pre-departure testing

  Travellers to New Zealand will no longer require a Cpvid-19 pre-departure test from 20 June ...Read more
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  New Zealand scrapping pre-departure testing - News & announcements

  Travellers to New Zealand will no longer require a Cpvid-19 pre-departure test from 20 June “We’ve taken a careful and staged approach to reopening our borders to. Our strategy has worked and as a result it’s safe to lift pre-departure test requirements sooner than planned,” Covid-19 Response Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said. “We had intended to remove the requirement for travellers to have a pre-departure test by 31 July. But with cases continuing to decline there is evidence this measure can now be lifted.” “We don’t anticipate a significant increase in border cases once the requirement is lifted.” A set of border surveillance measures remain in place for detecting possible new variants. Travellers will still be required to self-test on Day 0/1 and again on Day 5/6. If the result of either test is positive, they must then get a PCR test. Passengers transiting through New Zealand will no longer need to be vaccinated, nor be required to complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. “These changes represent important progress in our ongoing management of Covid-19,” Verrall said.

• 02 May 22

  NEWS
  New Zealand reopens to visa-waiver countries

  New Zealand reopened borders for visa-waiver travellers. It marks NZ's latest progress towards a full ...Read more
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  New Zealand reopens to visa-waiver countries - News & announcements

  New Zealand reopened borders for visa-waiver travellers. It marks NZ's latest progress towards a full border reopening Travellers from visa-waiver countries may now enter if fully vaccinated and supply a negative pre-departure Covid test. Visa-waiver countries include Japan, the US, UK, Germany, South Korea, Malaysia and Canada. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash called it a ‘milestone for visitors.’ NZ earlier reopened borders for vaccinated Australian nationals and permanent residents.  

• 16 Mar 22

  NEWS
  New Zealand sets border reopening date

  New Zealand’s international borders are fully reopening from 1 May to vaccinated travellers from visa ...Read more
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  New Zealand sets border reopening date - News & announcements

  New Zealand’s international borders are fully reopening from 1 May to vaccinated travellers from visa waiver countries. Fully vaccinated travellers from these countries can travel to New Zealand without needing to isolate on arrival as long as they present a negative pre-departure test. Negative Rapid Antigen Tests [RAT] will be required on arrival and again on day 5/6. Visa waiver countries include the UK, as well as the US, Japan, Germany, Korea and Singapore. It brought forward the planned date for opening the border to tourists primarily in time for the Australian school holidays, aimed at accelerating the economic recovery. Firstly, on 12 April, Australians will be able to travel to New Zealand isolation-free, and then two and a half weeks later, vaccinated travellers from visa-waiver countries will be admitted. “Reopening in time for the upcoming Australian school holidays will help spur our economic recovery in the short term, ”said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. “Trans-Tasman travellers have historically made up 40% of our international arrivals, with around 1.5 million Australians visiting each year.” “The announcement will be a welcome boost for our tourism operators.”

• 14 Mar 22

  NEWS
  New Zealand to bring forward full border reopening

  New Zealand’s hard border could swing open earlier than expected. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said ...Read more
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  New Zealand to bring forward full border reopening - News & announcements

  New Zealand’s hard border could swing open earlier than expected. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said a new revised reopening schedule will be revealed this week and ‘brought forward because we believe we can safely do so.’ It has maintained a hard border for almost two years. It has already opened to returning Kiwis and workers in critical industries. It expects to open first to Australian travellers and then for worldwide tourists.  

• 28 Feb 22

  NEWS
  New Zealand dropping isolation on arrival

  Travellers will no longer need to isolate on arrival in New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda ...Read more
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  New Zealand dropping isolation on arrival - News & announcements

  Travellers will no longer need to isolate on arrival in New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the requirement ends on Wednesday and currently applies only to returning Kiwis, as foreign tourists are still banned. Travellers are still required to test negative before and after arriving. “I know this will be welcome news to people eager to travel home to see loved ones as soon as possible,” Ardern said. It was mostly welcomed by the tourism industry, but the uncertainty over opening borders for foreign travellers is hampering recovery plans.

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