More than two years after Australia banned the entry of large international cruise vessels to slow the spread of COVID-19, ships will finally be allowed to return to Australian shores from next month.
The restart of the billion-dollar cruise ship industry, scheduled for April 17, will see an influx of tens of thousands of cruise passengers who will be warmly welcomed by Australia’s tourism and accommodation sector.
“The cruise industry is a critical component of Australia’s tourism and accommodation sector, and its return sends a very strong signal that Australia is nearing the end of the pandemic and the immense damage it has caused,” said Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) CEO Michael Johnson.
“The cruise ship industry contributes billions of dollars each year to the Australian economy and supports thousands of jobs through the accommodation sector, hospitality venues, suppliers and a range of associated sectors.”
While Johnson acknowledges there’s still a long road to recovery ahead before Australia sees pre-pandemic levels of visitation, he says April 17 will be “a truly exciting day”.
Additional measures will be put in place when the industry restarts to reduce the risk of COVID-19, including improved pre-arrival processes, stress testing of the emergency response system in relation to cruises, and all passengers will be required to be double vaccinated.
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said the Australian Border Force is ready to welcome international arrivals.
“In 2019, before the pandemic, Australia welcomed more than 600,000 cruise ship passengers across the border from almost 350 vessels,” Minister Andrews said.
“The cruise ship industry plays an important role in our tourism sector and forms part of the Morrison Government’s plan to bolster our economic growth as we recover from the pandemic.
“I can’t wait to see our cruise terminals once again filled with arriving international passengers, getting this important industry ship-shape and back out on the water once more.”