NewsBite

Margy Osmond

October 2024

Airports and airlines are desperate for policy action to develop a local sustainable aviation fuel industry.

Why overseas travellers will avoid flying to Australian events

Events industry bosses have warned the Albanese government that Australia’s slow progress on a sustainable aviation fuel industry will crimp overseas events travel.

  • Ayesha de Kretser

May 2024

Qantas and Airbus have committed to investing $300 million to accelerate the establishment of a SAF industry in Australia.

Budget gives $1.7b boost for green aviation fuel but still no mandate

While the EU, Singapore and Japan have all signed on to sustainable fuel mandates, the Albanese government will study the idea for another two years.

  • Ayesha de Kretser

September 2023

The participation in the delegation of former foreign minister, Julie Bishop adds a level of bipartisanship.

Much to gain from delegation going to China

This week’s High Level Dialogue is expected to be fearless, frank and friendly as the two nations seek to stabilise and strengthen their relationship.

  • Craig Emerson

February 2023

Inbound tourists disembark from the first flight into Sydney from China.

Travel bodies want visa overhaul to keep recovery on track

Airports and tourism organisations are calling for a streamlining of the nation’s visa scheme to open Australia to more international tourists.

  • Lucas Baird

March 2022

Foot traffice is picking up at Australian airports and more people arrive and depart.

Homecoming Aussies increase tempo of airport arrivals

People are travelling again with new data showing both long and short-term visitors on the rise.

  • Julie Hare
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February 2022

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‘Way too long’: Australia greets first tourists in two years

‘It has been way too long. We’ve been watching this for such a long time,’ said R.J. Landis after arriving in Sydney for his friend’s wedding – the first time they had seen each other since 2018.

  • Lucas Baird
The arrival of international tourists and other visa holders from February 21 will help make up for the loss of Australians who have been allowed to travel overseas since November 1 last year.

Border reopening predicted to ease worker shortages

Reopening to foreigners will add thousands more consumers to the economy and ease staff shortages at hospitality venues and farms, experts say.

  • John Kehoe

November 2021

Fiji is pushing ahead with re-opening to tourism on 1 December, ramping up its new tourism campaign - including imagery from Royal Davui private island.

Should you keep your Christmas travel plans?

As long as you steer clear of countries where omicron has been widely detected, the short answer is yes it’s fine to travel overseas, an infectious diseases expert says.

  • Fiona Carruthers
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Families face COVID-19 testing bills of $1800

Tourism leaders want federal and state governments to allow incoming travellers to be allowed to use cheaper rapid antigen tests.

  • John Kehoe

October 2021

Luna Park Sydney managing director Peter Hearne said NSW should be allowed to open up quicker than the rest of the country given about 86 per cent of the eligible population is vaccinated.

Industry concerned open borders will mean tourists head overseas

The domestic tourism recovery may be hobbled if high-spending travellers opt to go overseas instead of local holidays, and foreign visitors remain locked out.

  • Lucas Baird
Tourism operators in Far North Queensland have been hit hard by no international visitors.

Tourism operators face the harsh reality of a COVID-19 recovery

A Tourism and Transport Forum survey found 30 per cent of tourism operators believe their businesses will be worse off in the next 12 months.

  • Mark Ludlow

September 2021

Riverlife Adventure Centre chief executive John Sharpe once employed 250 people; he’s now trying his best to find enough work for around 170 staff.

Holiday wipeout: $21.3b lost and 610,000 jobs gone

The losses just keep mounting for the hard-hit tourism sector, which will soon employ less than half the workforce it did in 2019.

  • Fiona Carruthers

August 2021

Bedarra Island resort is one that has been hit hard by the lack of interstate tourists.

Cloud of COVID-19 uncertainty over September school holidays

Some tourism operators are set to go to the wall after the fourth school holiday period in a row looks set to be hit by coronavirus lockdowns.

  • Mark Ludlow
The $180 million build Oakwood Premier on Southbank is still scheduled to open by November this year.

Hotels brace to lose September school holidays

With Sydney in an extended lockdown, along with many other parts of the nation, the remainder of 2021 is looking like a wipeout.

  • Fiona Carruthers and Tess Bennett

April 2021

Jack Drummond and Abigail McKinstry were on one of the first flights out of Melbourne to New Zealand when the travel bubble commenced on Monday.

Push to make frugal Kiwi tourists spend more as bubble opens

New Zealand visitors to Australia are notoriously tight, spending an average of $1826 each, but tourism operators are hoping to open their wallets under the trans-Tasman bubble.

  • Mark Ludlow
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Sydney travel agent Donna Meads-Barlow says she hopes the new trans-Tasman travel bubble works out.

Keep NZ-Australia travel bubble open, plead travel agents

Travel agents have spent the past year paying refunds to customers, but believe the trans-Tasman bubble is a step in the right direction.

  • Mark Ludlow

March 2021

Both airlines said it was too early to tell what impact the lockdown will have on the heavily-criticised scheme

Qantas, Virgin cancel 75 Brisbane flights on first day of lockdown

Qantas and its budget subsidiary, Jetstar, cancelled about 45 Brisbane services, while Virgin scrapped 31.

  • Lucas Baird

February 2021

Cleaners wearing protective equipment disinfect the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel at Melbourne Airport.

Hotels flee quarantine program over brand damage

Top hotels are pulling out of the quarantine program amid growing industry fears that the spate of recent coronavirus outbreaks leaking out via staff is causing reputational damage to operators.

  • Andrew Tillett
TTF chief executive Margy Osmond.

Tourist operators plead for border certainty and more cash

Governments need to accept that they are largely responsible for the circumstances that have made it difficult for tourism to recover, and act accordingly, the industry says.

  • Lucas Baird

January 2021

Peter Wright

'More than devastating': One in five tourism businesses could fail

Prime Minister Scott Morrison won't extend JobKeeper payments for the tourism industry, warning 2021 will be tough for operators.

  • Tom McIlroy and Fiona Carruthers

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/person/margy-osmond-46a