The federal budget forecasts that Australian overseas travel will remain "low" by 2021. (Daily Mail)
The Australian tourist minister Birmingham (Simon Birmingham) has warned that Australians may not be able to travel to the United States or Europe by 2022.
European countries have recently reversed their hopes of building a "travel circle (Travel Bubble)" with Australia during the outbreak. Last week, Germany, France and Spain all recorded the highest one-day increase in cases since large-scale tests. The U.S. recorded 47,000 new infections a day ,12 percent more than two weeks ago.
Australia's federal budget, issued on tuesday, predicts that overseas travel will remain "low" until 2021, and may only apply to necessary trips rather than overseas vacations.
government also predict that Australians may not be vaccinated by the end of 2021 vaccine. which means that social distance measures will continue until then.
But Birmingham revealed that Australians could travel to New West by the end of the year. He told the Sydney Morning Herald :" We are beginning to open up to New Zealand because their Coronavirus results are equally remarkable. Australia may also be open to other low-risk countries. "
"However, the hope of launching a wide range of travel with high-risk countries still relies heavily on effective vaccine 、 or other major breakthroughs in the fight against the crown. "
He stressed that international travel to high-risk countries "can not be undertaken at the expense of our domestic economic strength and national health ".
Birmingham did not say what other destinations Australia's "travel circle" might add. But government sources say lower-risk japan, singapore and some pacific island nations are among the options.
The first phase of the New Zealand-Australia Tour Circle will be launched next Friday. By then, New Zealand nationals who have not been to the hot spots of the new crown 14 days before departure will be allowed to enter the new state and north territory without the need for 14 days of hotel isolation. Under the revised scheme of the Australian Tourism Restart Task Force, Australians may not enter New Zealand until December next year.
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has reminded nationals of the need to travel to Australia, despite the imminent resumption of flights between the two countries. "Our travel advice remains that New Zealanders should not travel abroad. The launch of the travel circle will not naturally lead to the adjustment of travel recommendations. "
It is reported that New Zealanders are still required to accept hotel isolation at their own expense after returning home, which is expected to reduce the number of passengers.
While Qantas (Qantas), Jetstar (Jetstar) and New Zealand (Air New Zealand) currently have flights to Australia, these divisions do not see strong demand.
The Australian Federal Finance Minister, Josh Frydenberg, said the government travel ban could extend to an unprecedented 18 months.
"International travel is expected to remain largely banned by the end of next year, including travel by tourists and international students, and will resume over time ," he said last week. A (additional) projection in the budget is that the vaccine will be operational around the end of 2021. "
