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CATO STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE CAMPAIGN FOR OPEN BORDERS

Thu, September 17, 2020 7:15 PM | Deleted user
  • The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) strongly supports the call for the re-opening of domestic borders by industry heavyweights.
  • CATO also calls for swift implementation of safe travel bubbles with nearby countries.
  • The land-supply sector is the lifeblood of the travel industry helping to underpin 40,000 jobs.

The recent joint call for the re-opening of Australia’s borders by travel industry heavyweights—Flight Centre, Helloworld, Qantas and Virgin Australia—is strongly supported by CATO and its members. It follows a similar push by the Save Australian Tourism group led by hoteliers James & Hayley Baillie, and a petition on the Qantas website.

“The continued closure of Australian domestic borders despite low or nil infection rates is having a devastating impact on the travel and tourism industry and the many hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on them. It is also causing unnecessary mental stress and anguish to countless Australians cut off from their families located interstate.” - CATO Managing Director, Brett Jardine

With proper test and trace protocols in place, CATO believes now is the time to start safely opening borders so that the travel and tourism industry can commence its recovery.

Describing the role CATO and its land-supply sector members play, Jardine said, “Our tour operator and wholesale members create, supply and deliver the land-based travel services sold through Australian travel agencies. They play a significant role in underpinning the 40,000 jobs that comprise the Australian outbound travel sector.”

CATO is also calling for the Federal Government to move forward with plans for the initial safe opening of domestic borders followed by the implementation of safe travel bubbles with nearby countries that have similar low infection rates. This will allow systems and protocols to be tested so we can commit to the safe opening of other borders.

Jardine added that, “Many CATO members created domestic programs when international borders closed. Many of these programs are now being re-assessed and cancelled due to unnecessary domestic border closures putting even further financial pressure on travel businesses and impacting their ability to save jobs.”


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