TTF Media Release

6 April 2021

PACK YOUR BAGS-TWO-WAY TRANS-TASMAN TRAVEL FROM MONDAY 19 APRIL

A start date of 19 April for the highly anticipated Trans-Tasman Travel Bubble April allowing two-way travel between Australia and New Zealand will provide a much needed ‘shot in the arm’ for wider tourism and travel confidence.

TTF Australia CEO Margy Osmond today said the industry had been working closely with both the Australian and New Zealand Governments to finalise the long-awaited and landmark international quarantine free travel.

“The official start date of 19 April for two-way quarantine free Trans-Tasman travel is a post COVID game changer and will go a long way to also help kickstart wider Australian domestic travel confidence,” Margy Osmond said.

“The ‘buzz around the bubble’ and associated travel confidence will provide some relief to Australia’s long-suffering tourism, transport and aviation sectors as we welcome back Kiwis to visit friends and relatives, conduct business and go on holiday.

“New consumer research by tourism consultancy MI Associates for TTF reveals that 40% of Australians still have no confidence to travel interstate in the near future. It also found that 63% of Australians remain concerned about travelling interstate specifically due to lockdowns, with short notice lockdowns and a lack of consistency in rules across states the primary reasons for this lack of travel confidence.

“While recent Federal Government support for cheap airline tickets was a great start, the ending of JobKeeper means that parts of the tourism industry are without dedicated ongoing support while most international borders remain closed.

“And while the majority of Australians remain unvaccinated, ongoing domestic border closures or merely the fear of them, will continue to impact massively on the willingness of many Australians to travel interstate.

“National Cabinet must now use this Trans-Tasman Travel progress as an opportunity to demonstrate national unity and put domestic politics aside to agree on the definition of and processes around future COVID hotspots.

“Additionally, ongoing federal and state politicking around federal and state vaccine roll outs negatively impacts travel confidence and detracts from the ability of our industry to survive and protect remaining jobs during this critical period.

“The message from the tourism industry is for all governments to maintain focus and work together on a unified approach to domestic borders and on vaccinating as many Australians as possible, with the view to opening additional international travel bubbles beyond New Zealand, and later wider international travel, as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Contact: TTF Manager Policy, Media & Government Relations Lindsay Hermes lhermes@ttf.org.au 0418 948 447