CLIA says it welcomes the Government of Western Australia’s $3 million fund to support travel agents, which recognises the devastating impact suffered by travel agents as a result of border closures.
The initial rollout of the program will provide packages of up to $5,000 to eligible home-based agents and minimum $10,000 packages to eligible bricks-and-mortar businesses.
CLIA Managing Director Australasia Joel Katz said more than 80% of cruise holidays were booked and managed by travel agents, whose survival was essential to the future recovery of Australia’s travel industry.
“While this package will go some way towards assisting travel agents, it is vital that discussions take place to support a long-term plan for the revival of the travel economy,” Mr Katz said. “Cruise lines have been working tirelessly on extensive new health measures to uphold safety when the time is right to resume sailing, and it is important that governments help open a pathway towards recovery for an industry worth more than $5 billion a year to the Australian economy.
“With new health measures in place, we see an opportunity for carefully managed domestic or state-based cruise operations initially for local residents only, which would protect Australia from outside infection while borders remain closed,” Mr Katz said. “Travel agents are among more than 18,000 Australian workers who rely on cruising and support cruise tourism to dozens of communities around the country.”
