1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,400
Speaker 1: More changes to our visa settings. We're now after the

2
00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:04,920
Speaker 1: digital nomad. There's going to be a relaxation of requirements,

3
00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:06,760
Speaker 1: which means you can visit and work more easily. To

4
00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:08,840
Speaker 1: as a minister Louise Upston with us morning.

5
00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:11,360
Speaker 2: Good morning, Mike ky going.

6
00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,239
Speaker 1: Very well, thank you great ideas. Should have done it

7
00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:13,800
Speaker 1: a year ago.

8
00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,120
Speaker 2: Why didn't we Well, there are a few other priorities

9
00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:19,520
Speaker 2: that had to be done in immigration, but look, I'm

10
00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,919
Speaker 2: really excited. This is a very clear signal to those

11
00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,000
Speaker 2: considering coming to New Zealand that New Zealand's open for

12
00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:30,040
Speaker 2: business and we welcome them with open arms. Digital nomads

13
00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,760
Speaker 2: can come and work in New Zealand and travel around

14
00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:34,680
Speaker 2: on a staycation for up to nine months.

15
00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,199
Speaker 1: Fantastic. Lots of other countries have already done it. Are

16
00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,920
Speaker 1: we a bit late to the you know, to the fund.

17
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,360
Speaker 1: We are later they're coming here.

18
00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,480
Speaker 2: We are later than other countries. But look, the main

19
00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,960
Speaker 2: thing is we are very clear we are open for business.

20
00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,760
Speaker 2: We've got more work to do. We absolutely need to

21
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,480
Speaker 2: attract more visitors back. We are a long way away

22
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,320
Speaker 2: from where we were in twenty nineteen and we've got

23
00:00:58,360 --> 00:00:58,800
Speaker 2: more to do.

24
00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:01,880
Speaker 1: Was Matt dous you sleep at the wheel in his portfolio,

25
00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:03,920
Speaker 1: not at all.

26
00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,080
Speaker 2: Look, you know the prime ministers started the year really clearly.

27
00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,920
Speaker 2: Economic growth is the name of the gay. I'm really

28
00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:15,800
Speaker 2: excited about the opportunity to promote New Zealand to international visitors.

29
00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,839
Speaker 2: If you think about any cafe, restaurant, hotel, theirs capacity.

30
00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,840
Speaker 2: They want customers and it's our job to go and

31
00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:24,200
Speaker 2: get them.

32
00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,000
Speaker 1: And I've been binging on about this for two years

33
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:27,880
Speaker 1: and no one seems to be listening. So I read

34
00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:32,760
Speaker 1: just yesterday Fiji record year, Raratonga record year. New Zealand

35
00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,120
Speaker 1: stuck at eighty five percent.

36
00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,880
Speaker 2: Why yep? So, as I said, we've got work to do.

37
00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,720
Speaker 2: We could go over all of the reasons. Why my

38
00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,800
Speaker 2: focus is on what we do next. Some countries are

39
00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:50,720
Speaker 2: saying that the visa process is still too difficult, and

40
00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,360
Speaker 2: so one of the first actions is to look at

41
00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,800
Speaker 2: what can we do around the visa system. The time

42
00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,520
Speaker 2: frames have improved, but people want certainty. I don't want

43
00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:03,760
Speaker 2: to know if they apply to come to visit New Zealand,

44
00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,520
Speaker 2: here's a reasonable chance that we'll say yes to them,

45
00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:09,960
Speaker 2: and that's of course going to be balanced by risk.

46
00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,200
Speaker 2: But if you look at Australia for example, it's really

47
00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,400
Speaker 2: easy for Australians to jump on a plane and hop

48
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:19,800
Speaker 2: across the ditch. So an immediate focus for me and

49
00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:22,160
Speaker 2: I've been talking to the industry when I met with

50
00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,960
Speaker 2: many of the leaders on Friday. Job number one is

51
00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,000
Speaker 2: get more Australians to visit good stuff.

52
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:28,480
Speaker 1: Well, I wish you nothing but the best with this

53
00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:30,680
Speaker 1: and we'll check in on a regular basis around the year.

54
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:33,320
Speaker 1: Appreciate your time as always, Louise Upston, who's the touristm Ministry.

55
00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,600
Speaker 1: For more from the My Asking Breakfast, listen live to

56
00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,760
Speaker 1: news talks there'd be from six am weekdays, or follow

57
00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:41,359
Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.