A BIG TICK FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FOR AUSTRALIANS FROM NOVEMBER

The return of international travel from late November for states that have reached 80 per cent double vaccination rates will be a lifesaver for the nation’s tourism industry, the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) said today.

“This staged international reopening for states like NSW and Victoria which will soon meet these required vaccination levels provides certainty for the future of our tourism, transport and aviation industry,” TTF CEO Margy Osmond said.

“Fully vaccinated Australians in these states will be able to start planning long sought-after get-togethers with friends and family in places like the United Kingdom, the United States and a growing list of key countries deemed safe, armed with the certainty that there will be no restrictions when leaving or entering our shores.

“Hopefully we will be able to plan similar domestic travel for get-togethers with our friends and family in other Australian states as these states realise the benefits of safely reopening to the rest of Australia and the world.

“While international quarantine arrangements will remain in place for now, home quarantine will suffice for fully vaccinated Australian residents, and we will be working closely with the Federal Government to ensure that this tapers off as quickly as possible as more and more Australians and those in key partner countries are vaccinated.

“We will also be calling for international inbound tourists, international business travellers, and those travelling for major events to be allowed to travel as freely as outbound and returning Australians, as the immediate next step.”

For the time being, following completion of home quarantine pilots in NSW and South Australia, it is anticipated that states and territories that are ready to do so will roll out 7-day home quarantine for Australian citizens and permanent residents fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved for use in Australia or ‘recognised’ by the TGA. There will also be 14-day managed quarantine for anyone not vaccinated or vaccinated with a vaccine not approved or TGA recognised.

“TTF is also pleased to hear that Australians who cannot be vaccinated – for example if they are under 12 or have a medical condition – will be treated as vaccinated for the purposes of their travel,” Margy Osmond continued.

“While international travel will look somewhat different for the immediate future including testing and the use of a soon to be finalised internationally recognised proof of vaccination document, after 18 months of international tourism being effectively in permanent lockdown, this is a significant next step for our visitor economy recovery.

“Australia is one country, and our tourism industry requires a national and international network to get back up and running as we put state-wide lockdowns and state border closures behind us and look ahead to a brighter 2022 and beyond.”

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