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Hundreds of people flying from the United States have touched down in New Zealand on the first day of its border reopening to citizens from visa-waivered countries.
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said the nation was “back on the world map” for tourism and business travelers on May 2, with isolation requirements being removed for people who are vaccinated.
“We are currently seeing around 33,000 arrivals per week, and we know today’s changes will further boost arrivals as interest in travel to New Zealand remains high,” Nash said on May 2. “International flight searches to NZ are running 19 percent higher than pre-COVID (March–April 2019).”