Coronavirus: ‘Open the borders to interstate tourists’, says Stuart Ayres

NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres is demanding all state and territory borders be reopened from July 1.

NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres says infection rates had stabilised to a point that was low enough to justify an easing of interstate travel restrictions. Picture: AAP

NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres is demanding all state and territory borders be reopened from July 1 so they can start an economic revival in the domestic tourism sector, which has been decimated by social restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 ­response.

Mr Ayres told The Australian that infection rates had stabilised to a point that was low enough to justify an easing of interstate travel restrictions and a rejuvenation of the country’s once-booming domestic tourism market.

He nominated July 1 as a date for current nationwide restrictions to be lifted, saying it provided enough lead time for industry and other stakeholders, namely airports and airlines, to prepare for the expected increase in cross-border travel. He said the number of tourists would initially be a steady trickle rather than an influx, with many people likely to remain cautious about travel arrangements because of the virus.

“I cannot see a reason why other states would not road-map to the 1st of July as a logical starting point for where all of those border restrictions could be removed and allow people to start moving across the country,” Mr Ayres said, adding that NSW residents were among the largest contributors to domestic tourism around the country.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she supported the plan, telling The Australian it was time to “start rebuilding the tourism sector” and marketing NSW as a safe, secure holiday destination.

NSW, Victoria and the ACT are among the few jurisdictions that have maintained open borders throughout the pandemic, though restrictions on non-essential travel have been in place and crippled their tourism industries. In NSW, travel restrictions remain in force, though travel is permitted if it is considered essential.

Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have all shut their borders entirely.

“Realistically we’re at a point in time when those other states should be removing their border restrictions and allowing people to plan for how they will make their economic contribution in the COVID recovery,” Mr Ayres said.

“But they (travellers) can’t do that while (the states) have got the ‘We’re Closed’ sign up at the ­border.”

Prior to the emergence of the pandemic, domestic tourism was a strong earner. Figures compiled by Destination NSW show domestic travel comprised 70 per cent of the visitor economy, with the remaining 30 per cent attributable to international arrivals.

According to the same figures, there were more than 28 million visitors to the Sydney region in the 12 months to December, worth $3.1bn.

The NSW north coast, Hunter region, south coast and Blue Mountains were the top four most popular travel destinations among foreign tourists.

But with national borders likely to remain shut for the foreseeable future, state and territory governments have begun mobilising to supercharge their domestic tourism markets and lure interstate patronage. North Queensland, Mr Ayres said, had been particularly exposed to the national border closures because of its reliance on international travel.

In NSW, Mr Ayres said the tourism recovery hinged on a significant increase in marketing and an emphasis on events in Sydney and regional NSW.

Grant assistance and partnerships with tourism operators would also be important to help improve their experiences and products, he said.