09 May 2020 | Media Release
At a meeting today of the Australian Chamber – Tourism’s Tourism Restart Taskforce, tourism leaders supported the planned approach by National Cabinet of a timetable out of the COVID-19 restrictions, including the staged opening of travel, to facilitate industry preparedness.
Chair of the Taskforce Dr Jeremy Johnson AM said: “We urge State and Territory Governments to also adopt a staged approach, but encourage them, subject to health advice, to work with industry to bring forward the timeframes and review some of the proposed restrictions.
“The announcements today will make it economically unviable for most hospitality businesses to open in Stages 1 and 2, and very challenging in Stage 3. This puts the ongoing financial viability of many tourism and hospitality businesses at risk due to the overlay of the restrictions on total numbers and rules such as 1 person per 4 square metres.
“Governments are also urged to consider the differences between structured activities such as business events and uncontrolled gatherings.
“In addition, the Taskforce encourages State and Territory Governments to reconsider their position on State border restrictions as these are a significant barrier to a return to domestic tourism.
“It is so important that we get as many as possible of the one million employees who rely on tourism back to work. The longer the State border restrictions and limitations on travel are in place, the more jobs, businesses and livelihoods will be lost.”
The Tourism Restart Taskforce noted the increased preparedness of tourism sectors with protocols and skills development taking place to ensure a safe restart could take place. The Taskforce noted the guidelines issued by Safe Work Australia as well as those being developed by Australian Chamber – Tourism to help guide tourism businesses using COVID Safe Tourism Guiding Principles.
The Tourism Restart Taskforce members include:
John Hart | Executive Chair, Australian Chamber – Tourism
8/04/2021
Skills and labour shortages across Australia are severely impacting business recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In its submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration...
8/04/2021
Employers, like the rest of the community, want sexual harassment in the workplace to be a thing of the past. There is no place in...
22/03/2021
The passage of the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia's Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2021 today is a responsible outcome, ensuring casual employment remains a viable option for business,...
18/03/2021
Australia’s leading business groups welcome the passage through the Senate of amendments to the Fair...
18/03/2021
The economic recovery continues to gather momentum, with today’s ABS Labour Force numbers showing a huge leap in full time employment. "With restrictions easing for many...
18/03/2021
Small businesses across Australia will be dismayed by the deal announced today by one small business organisation with the ACTU on casual employment provisions in...
17/03/2021
As the Senate debates the Omnibus Industrial Relations Bill in the next 24 hours, its decisions will have real impacts, positive or negative. Failing to...
16/03/2021
The manufacturing sector is leading Australia's economic recovery, with the nation's peak industry survey showing the sector expanding at a strong pace in early 2021. The Australian...
15/03/2021
The appointment of Mathias Cormann as the next Secretary-General of the OECD is welcomed by ACCI, Australia’s unique member of Business @ OECD (BIAC). "The...
15/03/2021
ACCI has today released an important report to show how part time additional hours agreements will help to address underemployment among part-time employees and reduce...
15/03/2021
Australia's leading industry groups are calling for Parliament to vote on the IR Omnibus Bill this week and for all Senators to support it. There...
11/03/2021
The post-JobKeeper support package announced today will help to salvage 13 key tourism regions but falls short of what is needed to save many flailing...
9/03/2021
The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements 50 per cent wage subsidy extension to September 2021 announced today is a recognition of its outstanding success in reversing the...
3/03/2021
The latest GDP quarterly growth figures demonstrate the positive impact of rolling back restrictions, however some sectors still affected by government-imposed restrictions remain weak and will...
1/03/2021
An ACTU and COSBOA flexible part-time employment proposal for the General Retail Award is poorly drafted, will add more red tape and risks exposing business...
10/02/2021
Labor's IR plan would cut job opportunities Labor’s industrial relations plan fails to recognise how jobs are created and what Australia needs to retain jobs and...
5/02/2021
The foremost network of business groups from the Asia Pacific has commissioned renowned macroeconomist Dr Andrew Stoeckel to author a study on resurrecting the world trading system. The...
1/02/2021
ACCI calls on unions to withdraw their latest advertising campaign opposing industrial relations reform, and to rethink their messages trivialising road safety, violence and genuine tragedies...
29/01/2021
The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry has submitted a proposal to the Federal Government this week for a new financial support mechanism for businesses...
21/01/2021
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' latest employment figures indicate that Australia is on track for economic recovery, with total employment now just 93,000 jobs shy of...