The South Australian Business Chamber Today — 10 February, 2022
Following the necessary, but not without its challenges, reopening the South Australian borders, the Australian Government announced that international tourists, business travellers, and other visa holders can now come back to Australia.
It is the next reopening we have all been waiting for. Not only for our tourism businesses who will provide all the experiences for these visitors but also the hotels that will accommodate them and the pubs, cafes and restaurants that will feed them all.
According to our national counterpart, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it was 704 days that international tourists could not come to Australia. And this has hurt the hospitality, tourism and events industry here in South Australia. The South Australian Business Chamber William Buck Survey of Business Expectations for the December quarter was released earlier this week. It told us that over 40% of businesses in those sectors were experiencing revenue declines greater than 30 per cent. This is two years into the global pandemic.
Last month, we heard from the South Australian Business Chamber member and General Manager of Crowne Plaza Adelaide Shaun Parsons that the buzz around the city was missing. People were not visiting venues like his for entertainment. This news of the international borders reopening is the next piece to the business recovery puzzle.
“For an internationally-recognised brand like ours, we definitely welcome this announcement. Having international tourists here in the state is a massive component of our success.
“However, it’s the detail that my national counterparts and I are after. A trip to Australia isn’t like going from country to country in Europe. It takes a significant lead time, so it could take a few years before seeing the same volume of international tourists.
“We will need to work with the airlines too, especially here in Adelaide. We need to make sure we are back on their list of destinations.
“Our hospitality, tourism and events sector makes a significant contribution to the economy through jobs and bringing dollars into the state. I am really very pleased that finally, we can welcome our international tourists back to South Australia.”
