AMID the unrelenting agony of this COVID carnage, thousands of businesses have been turned upside down. It remains to be seen how many travel agencies will emerge from this government-sanctioned hibernation, with an AFTA submission to the treasury noting withdrawal of financial help could send more than 40% of retailers to the wall. It seems inconceivable the government will turn a blind eye, not while our international borders remain all-but closed, apparently for the remainder of the year.
That gloomy picture emerged during an address by Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham. I get that sugar-coating the current situation would be absurd given the global havoc being wreaked by this virus. But Birmingham’s negative assertion was needlessly damaging and short-sighted.
Australia, in the main, has done a decent job of keeping coronavirus contained. Many European countries, including several key source markets for Australian tourism, also seem to have a grip on their respective situations. That, of course, does not mean this virus has been conquered. Regional spikes are causing concern, and there remain basket cases around the world.
In Europe, however, the pandemic has eased to a point where authorities are tentatively re-opening borders. They have concluded, rightly, that a balance must be struck between continuing to fight the virus and saving industries so ravaged since the turn of this awful year. And that includes travel and tourism.
To that end, while Australia and New Zealand flap around and prevaricate over the Tasman bubble, air bridges between numerous European countries are set to offer desperately needed respite.
Birmingham, though, seems to have discounted any prospect of Australia forging similarly reciprocal arrangements. If he’s waiting for a vaccine before releasing the travel handcuffs there’ll be nothing left of the industry.
