A ruling found the Cook Island's law that offers preferential treatment to New Zealand citizens over those from other nations is "invalid".
The man died in a passage that is known for being a good spot to swim with turtles.
Just 9 percent of Cook Islands Māori who live in Aotearoa New Zealand can speak Kūki 'Āirani.
Many businesses are experiencing a tourism boom, but they're struggling to find staff.
House of Travel's commercial director Brent Thomas told The AM Show says capacity is filling up quick.
The island previously attracted the highest spending international tourists, which weren't normally New Zealanders.
The first flight of the Cook Islands travel bubble touched down on Tuesday, bringing doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Travellers were treated to mocktails and champagne before landing.
"Overnight we saw a 4000 percent increase in searches for holiday packages on our website."
