New Zealand opens borders to foreign tourists for first time in 2 years

May 2 (UPI) -- For the first time in two years, New Zealand opened its borders Monday to travelers from dozens of countries -- including Britain, Canada and the United States -- in an effort to recharge tourism in a country where it's an important part of the economy.

The travel restrictions were eased on Monday as part of New Zealand's phasing out COVID-19 rules -- many of which were imposed in early 2020 at the first signs of the coronavirus outbreak.

Monday's move means that passengers from about 60 "wavier" countries can enter New Zealand for nonessential travel as long as they're vaccinated and self-test before and after arrival.

Waiver nations are those from which travelers are not required to apply for a visa before entry.

Tourism minister Stuart Nash said the country is "back on the world map."

"The welcome mat is out for citizens of visa-waiver nations, who like Australians can now travel here without isolation if they are vaccinated and do a predeparture and arrival test," Nash said, according to Radio New Zealand.

The first of the newly welcomed international visitors arrived Monday in Auckland from Los Angeles.

New Zealand lifted an isolation requirement in February. The country plans to reopen to foreign travelers from other nations in October at the latest, officials have said.

Non-waiver countries which require a visa for travel, however, are still barred from entering, such as India and China.

New Zealand imposed virtually a total lockdown after COVID-19 arrived in 2020 and, consequently, the island nation has seen mostly a limited number of cases. There is still concern, though, for emerging variants.

Health officials reported a case of the BA.4 Omicron variant in a South African traveler over the weekend -- the first known case of the variant in New Zealand.

Before the pandemic, New Zealand saw an average of about 3 million tourists per year, which accounted for more than 5% of its economy.