Wellington (AFP)

New Zealand on Tuesday approved the principle of a "bubble" with Australia in which nationals of the two countries could travel without quarantine, which should materialize in mid-April.

"I can confirm that the non-quarantine trips will begin in less than two weeks, on April 18 at 11:59 am," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

"I very much appreciate the decision taken today by the New Zealand government," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a press conference.

"We welcome them again, in the same way Australians will be greeted by Kiwis."

This "bubble" should therefore open a little over a year after the South Pacific archipelago closed its borders due to the pandemic.

Australia for its part partially opened its territory to New Zealanders six months ago, allowing them to go to certain states without having to observe quarantine.

New Zealand, which has recorded only 26 deaths linked to Covid-19, is one of the countries that has been most effective in the face of the pandemic, taking advantage of its geographical isolation.

New Zealand's economy has suffered greatly from the lack of foreign tourism on its soil for over a year.

The local tourism sector hopes that the "bubble" will inject up to one billion New Zealand dollars (600 million euros) into the national economy.

Ms Ardern urged Australians to take advantage of this opportunity as New Zealand's winter sports season approaches.

"We are a safe place to come with the family," she said at a press conference.

Several Asia-Pacific countries are working on similar "bubble" projects.

Taiwan and the Palau archipelago, in the Pacific, inaugurated one Thursday, again with the hope of supporting their tourism industry hard hit by the pandemic.

Palau President Surangel Whipps spoke of a "ray of sunshine" showing the world is gradually emerging from the pandemic.

Hours before Ms Ardern's announcement, however, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would not allow overseas travel for at least a month.

Air New Zealand immediately announced that it would increase its number of flights to Australia from four per week to currently around 20 when the bubble goes into effect.

However, Virgin Australia, while deeming this announcement to be a step in the right direction, announced that it would only offer a limited supply of flights to Queensland, a hotspot for skiing and adventure sports in the south of the country. 'South Island.

The two countries have been talking about this "bubble" for more than a year.

But its launch has been postponed several times due to the appearance of new sources of contamination in one country or another.

© 2021 AFP