The Future Of Australian Travel

In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, the travel industry has ground to an abrupt halt. Mercedes Maguire investigates what the future holds for the industry and how Australians travel.

- Mercedes Maguire

First, flights to China stopped. Then airlines closed routes to other destinations. As the panic over the Covid-19 outbreak spread, politicians warned against overseas cruising, then international travel altogether, and eventually whole countries closed their borders and put their populations into lockdown. Sporting events and music festivals across the world were stopped and in Sydney, the Royal Easter Show and Vivid 2020 were the first big events cancelled.

The panic was slow to start, but once it struck it was powerful and all-consuming, striking all industries and every corner of the economy.

But few more so than the travel industry.

Several months into the global pandemic. The question remains simple: what effect will Covid-19 have on the travel industry, both globally and in Australia? And how long will it take to recover?

Airlines and cruise companies were the first casualties of the abrupt shutdown of the travel market. When the Australian government mandated a self-isolation period of 14 days for all passengers entering the country, including citizens, Qantas and Virgin halted all international flights and most domestic ones. And all international arrivals by cruise ships to Australian ports were suspended for 30 days from mid-March. Many cruise operators responded quickly, voluntarily suspending trips, while others offered customers added flexibility to change holidays scheduled to depart before 31 August 2020.

But Luxury Escapes CEO Cameron Holland says they won’t be the only victims of the crisis.