Sports fans want easier trans-Tasman travel

Aussies and Kiwis alike have revealed they want faster, cheaper travel across the ditch to make attending sporting events easier.

With the Cricket World Cup heating up, these sporting fans are keen to see a decrease in airport red tape and a lowering of taxes to make it easier to cross the Tasman for major events.

The research has come from Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) and Tourism Industry Association (TIA), and shows that a whopping one third of trans-Tasman travel is by those heading to a major event, with the majority watching a sporting fixture.

However, out of those polled, two thirds said they would be more likely to travel is the journey time was shorter.

TTF’s chief executive Margy Osmond said both Aussies and Kiwis are serious sport’s lovers, so it’s no surprise that sport is a strong motivator for travel.

“Our survey showed that the most popular sports to travel for were rugby union, cricket and rugby league – all codes where there is a strong rivalry between our two nations,” she said.

“The real shocker is that 70 per cent of Kiwis said there was a major event they had wanted to attend in Australia, but didn’t, citing cost as the key deterrent. This should be a real wake up call for the Australian government. There is huge interest in visiting our country, but we’re turning away potential visitors through our sky-high tax on air tickets.”

The Aussies surveyed revealed that a quicker trip across the ditch would make a big difference in willingness to travel to sporting events, which could be achieved by reducing unnecessary queues both leaving and entering the two countries.

Osmond also added that their research reinforced the view that cost was still hindering travel.

“As a first step, Australia’s $55 departure tax should be dropped,” she stated.

“The research clearly shows New Zealanders are particularly-price sensitive. Removing this tax – which can add up to over $200 for a family of four with teenage kids – would make air fares cheaper and Australia more attractive.”

TIA New Zealand’s chief executive Chris Roberts commended the research, noting it also highlighted the need for serious reform at the borders.

“If we are to get more weekend and short-break trips from across the Tasman to watch sports, the research clearly shows we need to cut the total travel time from 6.5 hours today to closer to five,” Roberts said.

“Stepping off trans-Tasman flight should feel like stepping off a domestic one, rather than the more complicated offload at an international terminal. Technology can replace all the time consuming manual checks like passport control and bag inspections.”

Osmond said Australia should be aiming for a true common border between the neighbouring countries, but that in the interim, there are other simple steps both governments can take to shave off at least an hour in airport time.

“Two in three said a quicker passage through the airports would make them more likely to travel across the Tasman,” Osmond said of the survey respondents.

Osmond also made a point of highlighting the fact that despite previous PM’s John Key and Kevin Rudd agreeing to implement a common border by 2015, there has been little change.

Several Aussie cities such as Canberra, Newcastle and Townsville also lack international flights, despite boasting professional sports teams, with some 18% of respondents saying direct flights would prompt them to make the trip across the Tasman.

Roberts and Osmond say the Cricket World Cup is a shining example of how we can make events like this work.

“For the first time we are trialling common visas between our two countries making it easier for visitors to combine trips to Australia with a trip to New Zealand. So far, this has been hugely successful. It is our hope that this will now be permanently implemented.”

“Implementing these changes would go a long way to giving sports fans what they want – cheaper and easier travel between Australia and New Zealand,” Osmond said.

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@australia Chris Roberts margy osmond new zealand tia tourism & transport forum trans-tasman