Cricket fans attending the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will be granted entry into Australia and New Zealand with a single visa, with tourism bodies on both sides of the Tasman welcoming the news.
It represents a positive outcome for the coordinated campaign by the Tourism & Transport Forum Australia (TTF) and Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) to simplify visa requirements for visiting cricket fans.
“This announcement means cricket fans will only have to secure a single visa to be able to see games on both sides of the Tasman,” TTF chief executive Ken Morrison said.
“It will make the process simpler and cheaper, encouraging more visitors to travel to both Australia and New Zealand, benefitting the tourism sectors in both countries."
Tickets for the matches go on sale on Friday, one year ahead of the tournament’s start, with the new visa policy expected to save fans time and money, according to TIA policy and research manager Simon Wallace.
“With New Zealand to accept Australian visas for the duration of the tournament, visitors from countries like India and Pakistan will only have to apply and pay for one visa instead of two,” he said.
Meanwhile, Morrison was hopeful the move signalled further liberalisation of trans-Tasman travel lies ahead, highlighting next year’s ANZAC centenary as an ideal occasion for such a development.
