Tourism industry recovery hits setback with more delays for international flights and Queensland cruises

Queensland’s tourism recovery has been dealt a massive blow, with Qantas and one of the world’s biggest players in the lucrative cruise industry, pushing their plans to resume international travel even further back.

Queensland’s tourism recovery has been dealt a blow with new delays on the resumption of international flights and the lucrative cruise industry.

There had been renewed optimism for the travel industry before Christmas with Qantas foreshadowing a July resumption of international flights, while Carnival Cruise Line, the world’s biggest cruise company, was taking bookings for domestic cruises to visit Queensland waters from late March.

However, with Qantas yesterday pushing an international return back towards the end of the year, Carnival has also been forced to delay a return and is now unlikely to offer Queensland voyages until June or July.

P&O, which falls under Carnival’s Australian operations, has also delayed a resumption of cruises.

Tangalooma was set to welcome Carnival cruises from next month but will revert to late June while Carnival Spirit, originally expected to be based in Brisbane from June, is now not likely to arrive until September.

Carnival Spirit will arrive in Brisbane three months later than first hoped.

In a statement, a Carnival spokesman said the delays were due to the logistics of securing the technicians and contractors from around the world required to perform routine dry dock maintenance before Carnival ships can get back into service after the lengthy coronavirus shutdown.

“Arrangements are complex at the best of times in assembling hundreds of contractors and skilled technicians from around the world,” he said.

“It is even more difficult and time consuming when international travel is restricted as it currently is.”

However, he said the company remained committed to Queensland and there were more itineraries for the state scheduled for this year than in pre-COVID times.

P&O has almost doubled the number of Queensland itineraries for the second half of 2021 compared to what was scheduled last year before the pandemic.

“We know loyal cruise guests want to get back to their favourite holiday choice as soon as it is possible,” he said.

“And there is an aching need for revival of the travel sector, which has been decimated by the impact of the pandemic particularly for our travel agent partners.”

In reporting a $1 billion loss in its half-yearly trade update, Qantas yesterday announced international flights would return from October 31 rather than July as first scheduled.

QANTAS has reported losses of around 1 billion dollars over the last year. Picture: David Swift (NCA NewsWire)

Qantas reveals staggering $1 billion six-month loss

Most of Qantas’ international routes would resume on that date, including flights to London, Singapore and Los Angeles, but it was hoped New Zealand flights would resume much sooner, despite the latest coronavirus outbreak there moving the Queensland government to remove NZ from safe travel destinations.

Jetstar has also pushed back a return on international flights to the end of October.