Ski fields worry Covid-19 self-isolation rules for travellers will leave them out in the cold

The Covid-19 self-isolation rules for travellers could put the skids on this ski season.

Thursday's border announcement means Australians and other travellers who do not need a visa will be allowed in by July at the latest.

While ski fields were pleased to welcome them back to the slopes, the industry said their hopes might be shot if self-isolation rules kept travellers away.

Even with strong domestic support, ski fields have been grappling with two winters of border closures that have kept overseas visitors and workers out.

Up to 700 workers spend the winter on Mt Ruapehu each ski season and usually half of them are from overseas.

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts chief executive Jono Dean was concerned they might struggle for staff again.

Currently, all travellers faced the same self-isolation period as close contacts.

"If you put yourself in the shoes of a working holiday visa holder who is potentially planning on coming to New Zealand, what's your plan for 10 days of isolation if you have no contacts here and don't know anyone?

"You're going to be up for that cost yourself and so there is some concern that working holiday visa holders are just not [going to] consider New Zealand because of the difficulty that self-isolation still poses."

Dean was not ruling out mass isolation of workers as a possible solution if it could be done safely and with the right support in place.

He wanted the isolation rules to be reviewed well before July.

"It just means we go into a third consecutive season now where staffing unfortunately has a limiting factor on all of the facilities we're able to operate.

"We haven't quite seen what the extent of that will look like yet, and hope that it doesn't have a wide ranging impact."

Isolation rules would not just deter workers though - few holidaymakers would choose to sacrifice their time and money, Dean said.

"When we talk to local businesses within Ohakune and national park, parts of the central plateau, they are absolutely at the end of their tether. They are screaming out for support.

"There's a lot of reliance on the ski industry to be able to deliver that support to them."

Tourism Minister Stuart Nash told Checkpoint isolation requirements would be dropped whenever it was safe to do so.

"At some point in time, self-isolation will become redundant. What I can tell you is this is something that Cabinet will continually revise and review."

The border reopening plan was clear and provided a degree of certainty for businesses that they did not have before, Nash said.

"I acknowledge that [for businesses, tourists] having to self-isolate is a barrier at this point in time, however, we are committed to keeping our country safe. We have always taken that approach."

He said he supported the government's decision and they would not be asking tourists to do anything different than what they were asking of Kiwi travellers returning.

"One thing I will say and I promise the industry, this [self-isolation] is something that we will continuously monitor.

"I'm from Napier, I'm from a tourist town, I understand the value of tourism. I mean I've been down to Queenstown about six times in my role as Minister of Tourism, I understand as well as anyone, and probably more than most ministers, what an impact a lack of international tourists has on our community, and I am a very staunch advocate for the sector. However, I am also very, very clear that we need to keep our community safe."

RealNZ chief experience officer Bridget Legnavsky oversees Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone ski area.

Legnavsky welcomed the plan and more certainty but was worried about the isolation rules.

"People won't come over to New Zealand from Australia for a ski holiday if they have to isolate for a week, because generally they come for a week's holiday so they're not going to come over and isolate."

She was confident they would be able to get enough highly-skilled workers - including snow safety and instructors - this season.

"We'll be able to get open faster, we'll be able to get lifts open faster. We'll be able to deliver coaching and instruction to everybody that wants it," Legnavsky said.

"Whereas in the last couple of years, we've had to turn people away, and that [getting more staff] for us is great because the revenue stream continues.

"Turning away revenue in this current environment is like one of the worst things you can possibly do."

With the borders closed, New Zealanders looked closer to home for their powder fix.

Legnavsky expected more would travel now that there was certainty they could get home.

"Probably there's concern that we lose a whole lot of Kiwis that would normally come skiing 'cause they can finally get out of the country, and we've already heard Kiwis are heading home to see family or heading away because they can, and they can come back in so we've just got to work through what that could look like, how much of the domestic market we will lose out of the country, and how much we will gain."

Manganui Ski Area spokesperson Rob Needs was not expecting the changes would make much of a difference at the small Taranaki club field or his Top Guides business.

"I would imagine it would make a significant difference to ski fields. But to the majority of the tourism industry, that really does cater to a summer business, it will give us a chance to prepare if there is any money left."

Top Guides was virtually 100 percent international and summer based.

They had faced two years of no income and high concession and compliance costs without any hope of visitors until next summer, Needs said.

The overseas inbound operators he dealt with needed pricing three years in advance as their planning was for a similar time frame, which made the uncertainty even more challenging, he said.

"Very, very difficult environment to operate in, and whether we are still operating by the time the borders are open is 50-50 at best."

Tukino Ski Area operates on the eastern slopes of Mt Ruapehu.

Its safety services manager, Bruce McGregor, hoped some Aussies would enjoy the club field this winter but said a lot could change by then and isolation rules could stick around.

"We're just going in to this Omicron peak. We've got to go through it. Quite honestly it's still quite some time away - five odd months.

"We've got to go with what the situation is at the time and if there's certain restrictions, we've got to abide by them.

"We're hopeful they'll be minimal."

Ski fields hoped the isolation plan would be scrapped well before their seasons start.