Queenstown Chamber of Commerce interim chairman Craig Douglas said Ms Ardern had raised more questions than she answered, when she announced the Cabinet had agreed in principle for a bubble in the first quarter of 2021.
He said businesses thrived on certainty and he wanted to know how much notice would be given to allow companies to get ready for a sudden influx of customers.
New Zealand Hostel Association chairman and owner of two hostels in the resort Brett Duncan said the bubble would ideally be in place by early February.
He believed many Queenstown businesses were expecting to see enough domestic tourism between Christmas and Waitangi Day before disaster struck.
"After Waitangi Day, without the Australians, it will be a pretty slippery slope for many people."
Ms Ardern said a date for the bubble would be announced in the new year and the Government needed to decide how it would manage returning New Zealanders if there was an outbreak in Australia.
The Government would also need to know how airports intended to separate those travelling through the bubble and New Zealanders returning from elsewhere.
A Queenstown Airport Corporation spokeswoman said it had worked with Southern Health District Board and border agents to ensure it would have the right protocols in place.
She said the airport welcomed the news.
"In 2019 there were 716,908 passengers arriving from or departing to Australia out of a total of 2,392,976 passenger movements at Queenstown Airport."
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said he would like to see direct flights between Australia and the resort, and was confident it could be done safely.
There are no quarantine facilities in Queenstown, removing the issue of mixing with travellers from outside the bubble.
Air New Zealand said it was preparing for quarantine-free travel and safety was a big priority.
The airline would not confirm if there would be direct flights to Australia from Queenstown.
NZ Ski general manager Paul Anderson, who oversees the Remarkables and Coronet Peak skifields in Queenstown, said it was an "exciting development".
He said if the bubble was implemented by March it would give time for things to build up before the ski season.
Mr Anderson said the return of Australians would give the company the confidence to "reinvigorate our investment programme for the future".
Only Coronet Peak was opened fully this year. The Remarkables opened mainly for holidays and weekends.
University of Otago public health expert Prof Michael Baker said the timing was right with the bubble — and could have even happened sooner — but the threat of Covid-19 remained.
"I think it’s ... a dangerous time for New Zealand," he said.
The Opposition National Party said yesterday New Zealand was "dragging the chain" when it came to the travel bubble with Australia.
Party Covid-19 response spokesman Chris Bishop pointed out New Zealanders had been able to travel to Australia without quarantining since October 16.
"The news gives the glimmer of progress without any real substance to it.
"Businesses are still none the wiser on when we will see Australians able to enter New Zealand without quarantining."
Yesterday’s Australian travel bubble news follows confirmation that New Zealanders will be able to travel quarantine-free to the Cook Islands early next year.
— Additional reporting The New Zealand Herald
