Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has urged holiday-makers to not book any international travel amid the coronavirus crisis.
It is expected that warning bans will be in place around Christmas so even if one may feel like an eternity in-home one should wait until next year before booking a holiday overseas.
At present, it is difficult to say when the travel restrictions will be removed because it will be a matter dependent upon the health advice at the time.
In stopping COVID-19 international travel has played a key role and will continue to play a key role.
Senator Birmingham said that international travel could be the very last thing that is reactivated again after the coronavirus restrictions were lifted and gave specific warning against booking cruises even for next year.
He suggested unless one has an iron-clad insurance policy, Australians should not be making bookings for travel. They cannot guarantee when they will be able to undertake travel. Areas proven to be at higher risk are some of the last areas where travel will be permitted again.
He went on saying that international travel will be sitting towards the end, cruise travel, you would expect to be sitting right towards the end if not the very last thing that is reactivated again, given the difficulties Australia has faced with the cruise sector so far.
The Federal Government suggested that Australians should start “dreaming” about their next holiday at home with states more likely to relax restrictions within our borders.
Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Peter Shelley told that it would be “quite a while” before Australia’s foreign travel businesses recovered.
They would be optimistic about something happening in the fourth quarter of this year but, really, it’s probably toward the end of the year or the start of next year.
Over the past six months, local tourism has taken a major hit. The summer bushfires combined with COVID-19 wiping billions from the industry.
Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) CEO Margy Osmond said in March that the knock-on effects could see tourism lose around $3 billion each month across Australia.
Tags: Australia, Australians
