Tears and chocolate as New Zealand opens its borders to 60 more countries
May 2, 2022, 7:26 am

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

Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range (Photo: Pixabay)

The Straitstimes reported, citing Reuters, New Zealand welcomed thousands of travellers from around the globe on Monday (May 2) 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.

Garth Halliday, who was waiting at the airport for his son, daughter-in-law and grandson to land from London, told local media it made him happy and emotional to see so many families reunited.

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.

The country opened its borders to visitors from around 60 nations for the first time since Covid-19 hit in early 2020. PHOTO: AUCKLAND AIRPORT/FACEBOOK

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-19. There are no requirements for isolation.

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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told attendees at the US Business Summit in Auckland that overseas visitors will really "bring back a piece that has been missing from New Zealand and New Zealanders".

On Monday, 43 international flights were scheduled to arrive or depart from Auckland International Airport 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.

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She said: "This is welcome news for the New Zealand tourism industry who has weathered a difficult storm."

Tourists from a number of countries including India and China continue to be barred with restrictions for them not being lifted until October.

Source: straitstimes

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”