The Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce is hopeful a NZ government delegation visit could lead to more trade opportunities.
The President of the Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce, Fletcher Melvin Photo: CI Govt
New Zealand officials are due to visit the Cook Islands at the weekend for talks and an inspection on requirements for a safe travel bubble.
The Cook Islands has had no reported cases of Covid-19 and is anxious for tourism to restart.
The President of the Chamber, Fletcher Melvin, has been calling for the bubble for five months.
"It's really about lifting quarantine for Cook Islanders or Kiwis going back from the Cook Islands to New Zealand. There wasn't any danger for New Zealand so that was really restricting business for us, it was restricting travel, for all types of reasons."
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said while there was no time-frame, she was keen to see the travel bubble open up as soon as was safely possible.
Melvin, who is also chairman of the Private Sector Taskforce, said that while opening up travel was a huge priority, there were other opportunities regarding the corridor between the countries which should be explored.
With the trade imbalance between the two countries, he said it was a good time to look at how to get Cook Islands produce into New Zealand
"The trade deficit is much more in favour of New Zealand.
"We export very little out of the Cook Islands but import nearly 290-million-dollars of product into the Cook Islands. So it's an opportunity, I think, to get some trade going the other way."
Locals only - island environments like this popular swimming spot on Rarotonga are becoming lush with life and colour thanks to the tourism shutdown. Photo: D.Fisher