Latest national tourism data around our free-falling visitor economy due to COVID-19 makes clear
the need for future action to help underpin one of our major economic pillars and job creators.ATIC Executive Director Simon Westaway said big falls through continual border constraints and
dented confidence to travel interstate was central to the poor tourism spend and visitor data.
Tourism Research Australia’s October 2020 analysis had national overnight visitor spend (down
47%), overnight trips (down 41%) and day trip spend falling (37%) over the Jan-Oct 2020 period.
“The inability or lack of confidence of travelling interstate is at the heart of these repeatedly poor
domestic tourism figures and the situation has now become far worse,” Mr Westaway said.
“Open domestic borders and confidence they can stay effectively open through consistency and
certainty in government decisions is the catalyst to get Australians willing to safely travel again.
“The latest domestic border situation has precipitated major cancellations in current and future
bookings as reported by our tourism operators and heavily knocked any intention of future travel.
“Today’s figures don’t capture what’s now occurring on the ground. Recent rapid and hard closed
border decisions locking out entire States and regions will have significant future repercussions.
“Industry had looked to this summer high season to try to recoup some of the major losses of
2020 and compensate for our hard closed international border and loss of international visitors.
“That scenario is effectively crushed so future support for tourism, including certainty over the
continuation of JobKeeper beyond the end of March, is a major priority.
“Measures by Federal and State Governments to constructively support and work with Australian
tourism until local vaccination rates are high and the international border re-opens must occur.”
