A luxury hotel operator in Auckland says high-end tourists already have bookings in place in the hope New Zealand will reopen its borders soon.
Park Hyatt in Auckland. Photo: Supplied
The 195-room Park Hyatt on the city's waterfront has been counting on weekend domestic travellers and the wage subsidy, to stay afloat over the past 12 months.
Park Hyatt general manager Brett Sweetman said while it had been tough for the sector, he could see light at the end of the tunnel.
"We've been taking bookings even earlier this year for quarter four this year, that is, now. We've just had to roll those bookings back to quarter one or quarter two next year, everyone is pre-empting borders to reopen but the demand is huge internationally.
"New Zealand was a real destination for international guests, particularly from Southeast Asia and Americans, pre-Covid, and we're definitely going to bounce back into a strong position once we do bounce out of this and everyone gets vaccinated."
Sweetman said the high demand for next year meant the government should think about loosening visa restrictions for the hospitality sector.
"We really do wish the government could give us a bit more slack or a bit more forward-thinking in regards to the visa regulations for the hospitality sector.
"Given the numbers, we're seeing coming into next year and the built-up demand we're seeing for tourism for New Zealand ... we do need to get those overseas workers in," he said.
Sweetman said if lockdowns and border restrictions persisted, it would be "crippling" for the sector.
"A lot of operators right throughout New Zealand whether they be standalone restaurants or large scale luxury hotels like mine, we do rely on those international guests.
"If we don't get [guests], there's only so long we can keep treading water."