The Federal Government’s decision to discontinue the Ebola-related Travel History Card is a triumph of common sense over red tape for anyone entering Australia through our international airports, according to the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF).

“With the Ebola threat safely behind us, the Travel History Card has now just become another piece of red tape to fill in at the airport,” said Margy Osmond, TTF CEO.

“TTF has been a strong advocate for the scrapping of the Travel History Card following the latest information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the number of Ebola cases being reported has dramatically declined to less than five per week.

“The universal requirement for inbound passengers to complete this card has caused facilitation delays at the border and unnecessary inconvenience to passengers.

“Industry supports the role of border protection authorities to help protect Australia’s public health, but it is also imperative that we remove any unnecessary barriers to the efficient facilitation of incoming passengers at our borders.

“Our international gateways are subject to a lot of red tape, and any steps the government takes to reduce the forms and procedures that a passenger has to endure is a positive outcome – especially when they no longer serve a meaningful purpose.”