Tears and chocolate as New Zealand opens its borders to 60 more countries

New Zealand welcomed thousands of travellers from around the globe on Monday as the country opened its borders to visitors from around 60 nations including the United States, Britain and Singapore for the first time since COVID-19 hit in early 2020. Maori cultural performers sang songs at the arrivals gate in Auckland and travellers were handed popular locally made chocolate bars as the first flights came in from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Friends and family hugged and cried as people were reunited for what was for some the first time in more than two years. New Zealand had some of the toughest curbs in the world during the pandemic and only recently started to ease the increasingly unpopular measures, hoping to boost tourism and ease labour shortages now the Omicron variant is widespread domestically. Borders were opened to New Zealanders and Australians in February and March. Now visitors from around 60 visa-waiver countries can enter as long as they are vaccinated and test negative for COVID. There are no requirements for isolation. On Monday, 43 international flights were scheduled to arrive or depart from Auckland International Airport (AIA.NZ) carrying around 9,000 passengers. Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty said demand had exceeded expectations with many of the services filling up. "This is welcome news for the New Zealand tourism industry who has weathered a difficult storm," she said.<br/>