[y-c-o-m-b]

Yes, this point is being strongly overlooked. Worst case scenario they end up like the rest of the world now with a struggling economy and thousands of cases.

By closing their borders it gives them time to build up their healthcare infrastructure, wait for vaccines and other experimental treatments to be vetted so by the time their borders open up again it won't devastate the country like it has everywhere else. These are all luxuries every nation wishes it could have taken advantage of. Criticizing New Zealand's response right now is extremely premature.

[vondur]

Isn't tourism a large portion of the economy there? I'd imagine this isn't going to help. Although no one is really traveling now, so maybe the damage is already done.

[AnotherGoodName]

For New Zealand the largest source of tourists are from Australia. The opposite isn't true due to the nations population imbalance but New Zealand is still a large source of tourism for Australia.

It may surprise some people but the number of Australians that visit countries overseas is roughly equal to tourists visiting Australia. As wealthy diversified nations tourism for Australia and New Zealand is a net wash in terms of foreign cash flows. Citizens spend as much overseas as tourists coming to Australia. The issue isn't foreign currency gains/losses but a more simple case of the economy and jobs are setup to service a certain number of tourists who are no longer there.

Both nations leaders have met and discussed encouraging bilateral tourism. Honeymoons, family overseas trips, etc. will be bilateral and internal for the time being. If the previously external tourism can be directed internally it'll actually more or less be a wash on topline numbers.