Australia’s Tourism Minister, Simon Birmingham has urged Aussie travellers to make a domestic trip for their next holiday, as a lift on international travel bans remains uncertain.
While the Coronavirus is still circulating overseas, the virus is showing signs of slowing down within Australia—sparking hopes that domestic travel will become available sooner rather than later.
The Minister said while it’s important that Australian’s still stay home and adhere to social distancing measures, they can still plan their next trip.
“My message is now is the time when you can dream and plan but not execute those plans,” he said.
“You should really be thinking about the type of trips you might take in Australia when restrictions on travel are lifted.”
The federal government is suggesting that Australians plan (not go on) trips within their own state for now, as inter-state travel restrictions are set to remain in place.
Tourism and Transport Forum Chief Executive, Margy Osmond agreed that domestic tourism businesses will be the first to start taking guests once the restrictions are lifted.
“What’s likely to happen in terms of the industry is that domestic travel will probably be the top of everybody’s agenda for the next two years,” she said. “If it’s not domestic, it might be a little bit to New Zealand.”
Bushfire-affected regions of Australia should also be front-of-mind for travellers, with Business Events Australia’s #holidayherethisyear campaign urging Aussies to get into the regions to support local business’s recovery.
