CLIA managing director Australasia, Joel Katz, says Australia is the only major cruise market in the world without an agreed plan to resume cruising. Pre-COVID, the cruise industry was worth more than $5 billion annually to the Australian economy.
“The suspension of cruising has been devastating for the 18,000 Australians who depend on cruise tourism, including travel agents, tour operators, food and produce providers, entertainers, port workers and many other industry suppliers.
“In other countries close to five million people have already sailed successfully under the cruise industry’s extensive new health protocols. We need federal and state governments to use the coming weeks for genuine discussions with the cruise industry so we can plan a similar revival in Australia.
“Cruising has changed enormously in response to the pandemic and the work our industry has done with medical experts internationally has resulted in health protocols that are successful in mitigating the risks of Covid-19,” Mr Katz said. “With vaccination rates increasing and borders opening, we need agreement on the way forward throughout Australia so there can be a careful revival of cruise tourism in communities around the country.”
Mr Katz says the cruise industry’s new health measures go beyond those of any other area of tourism and include vaccination and testing requirements for passengers and crew before boarding, as well as extensive protocols covering crew quarantine, distancing, sanitation, ventilation, health monitoring and response procedures.
