A four-day work week in New Zealand could boost domestic travel

As New Zealand moves into a new phase post-lockdown, the nation is thinking about ways it can revive their tourism sector. According to New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacina Ardern, a four-day work week could give New Zealanders enough free-time to travel within the country. Thus boosting domestic tourism. New Zealand is yet to reopen its border, even though the lockdown was lifted last week.
According to Prime Minister Ardern, 60 percent of New Zealand is dependent on tourism. Therefore, New Zealanders should travel domestically in order to support the tourism industry. She believes that a four-day work week will leave enough time for domestic travel. She has left employers and employees to decide on the four-day work week scenario; and rightly pointed out that the lockdown has caused us to learn a lot about our work; about how it is really possible to be productive while working from home.


The government in New Zealand is planning to help the tourism sector to reopen, and has set aside $400m for the same.
Even before the pandemic, and this idea of a four-day work week, there were certain quarters that were following this rule. Some offices in Canada, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and in the Scandinavian nations. According to some studies, productivity increases when we are doing a four-day work week.

New Zealand, which is known for its extraordinary natural beauty, could remain closed for the world for sometime, and travel will never be the same of course. But the country is soon going to reopen its borders for New South Wales and Victoria tourists, bringing hope for the tourism industry. In a world where we could have to live with COVID-19, a four-day work week could become the new normal.