Regional tourist operators are grappling with another year of uncertainty with some questioning whether their businesses will survive.
Visitor numbers to Franz Josef are down by more than 95 percent, one business owner says (file image).
Photo: 123RF
With the vaccine rollout expected to take a year, and the prime minister saying the trans-Tasman bubble is looking more difficult, the return of international tourists appears a long way off.
The bad news just keeps coming for tourism operators up and down the country.
Glacier Valley Eco Tours owner Tash Goodwin said visitor numbers were down by more than 95 percent, making the update on the border all the more disappointing.