In Fiji, beautiful bungalows sit empty, gleaming resort pools have no-one swimming in them and countless employees who would normally be on hand to greet travelers with broad smiles have been left without work.
While COVID-19 has actually shut down the Pacific Island nation’s biggest industry, Fiji hopes it will not be for excessive longer.
The Government wants to see Australian and New Zealand tourists return “as quickly as possible” and is pushing tough to become part of the “travel bubble” the 2 countries are planning.
So, when could Australians be back sunning themselves on a beach in Fiji, what are the dangers and benefits of reopening borders in the area and what do other Pacific Island nations think of the “travel bubble” concept?
Should I start conserving for a ticket to Fiji?
While conversations in between Australia, New Zealand and Fiji are underway, there is still no timeframe on when travel to Fiji, or other pacific island nations, might resume.
However Federal Liberal MP and co-convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of the Pacific Group Dave Sharma told the Lowy Institute we could see travel resume to some Pacific Island countries this year.
” I would think we ought to have some parameters in place that would be permitting us to begin this sort of thing and possibly even faster.”
Australia and New Zealand have actually made it clear that re-establishing travel between themselves is their initial concern, and even that could be some months away.
Once we have actually established travel arrangements across the Tasman, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also stated we will “check out opportunities to expand the concept to members of our more comprehensive Pacific household”.
But all nations are being very mindful in their appr