ATIC: Western Australia's Ongoing Border Restrictions Must End

 Daniel Gschwind: "Restrictions must end"

The Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) is concerned that ongoing border restrictions will lead to continued disruptions for the tourism and aviation industries. Specifically, Western Australian tourism operators have now been dealt another heavy blow. The latest National Tourism Business Activity and COVID-19 Survey for the October-December quarter have revealed that tourism operators are on average experiencing a 52% downturn in business activity, compared to the same quarter in 2019, pre-COVID.

Deputy Chair of ATIC, Daniel Gschwind, stated that for tourism to successfully move to COVID-normal and allow Australia to bounce back, we must come back together as one country.

“The past two years of this pandemic have been devastating for the tourism and aviation industries. Any prospect for a recovery will be at extreme risk if borders remain locked”.

Tourism Research Australia (TRA) revealed in its latest publication that the Australian tourism operators suffered a loss in revenue of well over $50 billion from reduced domestic overnight travel alone, since the pandemic started.

“Every regional community and all capital cities in Australia have been impacted by the loss of tourism activity, they need to be supported for a speedy recovery.”

“Over the past two years, we have seen families and friends separated. Many Australians have been waiting too long to be reunited and the hopes of many tourism operators have now been dashed.”

Australia is now, proudly, one of the most protected nations in the world against COVID-19 due to our high vaccination rates – at 93% of 16-year-olds and over fully vaccinated as of January 25. 

Additionally, as more people receive their third dose, and as additional shipments of Rapid Antigen Tests become available, the rate of protection will only increase.

“Australians have been doing the hard work to get through this pandemic and it would be a tragedy to see their hard work come to nothing. If we cannot ease our own borders and come back together now, with all the tools we have available, then when?”