Sports fans 'want easier travel across the Tasman'

As the Cricket World Cup heats up, research has revealed that Australians and New Zealanders want faster, cheaper travel across the ditch to make attending sporting events easier. Reducing airport red tape and lowering taxes are key to encouraging more sports fans to cross the Tasman Sea more often, according to Australia and New Zealands peak tourism bodies Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) and Tourism Industry Association (TIA).

The survey, conducted in Australia and New Zealand, shows that one-third of trans-Tasman travel is by those attending a major event, with the majority watching a sporting fixture. However, two thirds of those polled said they would be more likely to travel if the journey time was shorter.

TTF Chief Executive Margy Osmond said: "Australians and New Zealanders are sports-loving people so its no surprise that sport is such a popular reason to skip across the Ditch. 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.

"The real shocker is that 70 per cent of Kiwis said there was a major event they had wanted to attend in Australia, but didnt, 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 were turning away potential visitors through our sky-high tax on air tickets.

"The Australians surveyed in particular told us theyd like to see quicker journey times, which can be achieved by reducing the unnecessary queues we face leaving and entering our two countries.

Mrs Osmond said the research reinforced the view that cost was a barrier to travel. "As a first step, Australias $55 departure tax should be dropped. 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.

Chris Roberts, Chief Executive of the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) 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.

"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.

Mrs Osmond said we should be aiming for a true common border between Australia and New Zealand, "but in the meantime there are some simple steps both our governments can take to shave over an hour off the current airport experience.

"When asked about these proposals, over 80 per cent of respondents agreed this would be a good idea. Two in three said a quicker passage through the airports would make them more likely to travel across the Tasman.