Jim Boult: Queenstown Mayor ready for trans-Tasman bubble to open

Queenstown's mayor predicts an influx of Australian visitors will bring a bumper ski season for the tourist town. The first quarantine-free flight lands into Queenstown at 2.30pm Monday from Sydney after the trans-Tasman bubble officially opens at 11.59 Sunday night. Mayor Jim Boult told the Weekend Collective there's been good bookings in hotels. "Late April, May, early June are usually the quietest months of the year for us. We think we'll have a pretty good time over that time, but we're seriously excited about the ski season." He believes young Aussies could provide some of the staffing shortfall this ski season, with many hotels and hospitality businesses scrambling to find staff now that the tourists are returning. Boult says 5,500 migrant workers were a big part of the workforce before the borders closed. "We think around 2,000 of them have left the district, that has left a big hole. "But we're trying to attract young Aussie across to work in the ski season." He says worker accommodation won't be an issue this year. Air New Zealand is running 30 flights across the Tasman - carrying more than 5,000 people. Qantas has scheduled 25 flights, and there are four from Jetstar. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.