Australia’s Tourism Minister warns international travel may be on hold until 2021

The Australian Government has stated that international travel will be on hold for the remainder of this year, perhaps even beyond.

International travel isn’t the only form of travel being restricted, as state borders are likely to remain closed for some time too.

“We want to thank Australians for staying at home. It has been critical for slowing the spread of the virus and it will remain critical for some time to come,” Australia’s Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham told ABC’s News Breakfast.

Holidaymakers should avoid booking any international travel during the coronavirus crisis, Birmingham also warned.

Under strict laws designed to stop the spread of COVID-19, the federal government has banned Australians from flying abroad in all but essential circumstances.

Anyone returning to Australia also has to enter a mandatory 14-day isolation in a hotel, supervised by the police and Australian Defence Force. Read our GCT Exclusive of life on the inside: Day 3 of the COVID-19 Hostage Situation.

“Travel is still off the books for the foreseeable future. But there will come a time, and perhaps for those Australians who can, it’s a good chance to do a little bit of dreaming. Look up your favourite Australian tourism destination, or the one you might love to visit in the future, and think about what you could do in the months and years ahead,” he added.

In other words, we’ll be allowed to go outside (and travel to Greece soon), if we just stay indoors and continue complying with the ‘lockdown’ measures.