The NSW Government’s decision to lift quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated overseas arrivals including tourists is an important step in the long hard road to recovery for the travel sector.Australia’s travel sector has been in hard lockdown for 600 days already and until international travel normalises in 2022, an ongoing financial lifeline is critical for the 30,000 Australians working in travel and 3,000 travel agencies and businesses who employ them.
A third of the travel sector (15,000 jobs) has already been wiped out. Travelling Australians will need travel expertise to navigate the complexities of COVID-travel more than ever.
Additional Facts
- Prior to COVID, the industry has experienced year on year growth of 11% and maintained growth of 7.25% over the past five years
- In 2018-19, Australians spent over $46 Billion on international travel, representing the largest import sector of the Australian economy
- 70% of this international travel was booked through Australian travel agents
- Each year travel agents collect taxes worth $1 Billion and contribute $28 Billion nationally to the economy
Quotes from AFTA CEO Dean Long:
“The Federal Government’s announcement to end the closed border for outbound travel for Australians is a critical decision to reconnect us to the world. International travel is essential for Australians who have family members and businesses abroad, and will help our travel industry begin to recover.”
“We look forward to receiving the details of how this will roll out practically and we are committed to working with the NSW and Federal Governments to support this. The elimination of the quarantine requirement is one of the biggest barriers to international visitors wanting to come to Australia along with airline seat caps.”
“Even with today’s announcement, the runway to recovery for Australia’s travel sector is a long one. Australia’s travel agents and businesses have been in hard lockdown for more than 600 days and until airlines and cruise capacity return to normal levels, which won’t be before the second quarter of 2022, we will continue to be in lockdown. The 30,000 Australians who work in Australia’s travel sector and the 3,000 agencies and businesses who employ them urgently need ongoing Government help so we can keep providing travelling Australians with the expert support they need.”
“As so many Australians have discovered during COVID, travel agents are essential and even more important given the challenges of travelling internationally given the morass of differing requirements. Without a travel agent, you really are on your own.”
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