Bad news would-be jet-setters, Australia’s international borders are predicted to remain mostly shut until midway through 2022.
As reported by news.com.au, this year’s federal budget papers include a prediction that normal flights won’t resume until mid-2022.
“Inbound and outbound international travel is expected to remain low through to mid-2022, after which gradual recovery in international tourism is assumed to occur,” the budget papers reportedly read.
Despite the prediction, news.com.au has reported that Australia is still on track to have the population fully vaccinated by the end of the year.
According to news.com.au, it is predicted that the borders will need to stay shut for six months in 2022 after the majority of the population has been vaccinated.
In his budget speech, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Australia’s fate “could have been so much worse” had the borders not been closed.
“With respect to international borders, it’s quite a conservative, cautious assumption that international borders will gradually reopen from the middle of next year,” he said.
Love Travel?
Get the latest Travel news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
“Early and decisive actions saved lives and livelihoods,” he said in regards to the country’s response to the pandemic.
State and territory quarantine caps on international arrivals are reportedly one of the biggest barriers to flights resuming.
“The rate of international arrivals will continue to be constrained by state and territory quarantine caps over 2021 and the first half of 2022, with the exception of travellers from Safe Travel Zones,” the budget reads.
New Zealand is currently considered to be a Safe Travel Zone due to its ‘bubble’ agreement with Australia, which allows travellers more freedom.
Meanwhile, news.com.au reported that the budget also makes mention of the pandemic remaining a “significant risk” to the economic outlook.
“Outcomes could be substantially different to the forecasts, depending upon the extent to which these assumptions hold,” the budget papers read.
“The control of the virus remains a significant risk to the economic outlook.”
You can read more about this topic over at the Travel Observer.
