Travel industry responds to travel advice downgrade for key Middle East transit hubs - Travel Monitor
The Federal Government’s decision to lower travel advice levels for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from Level 4 “Do Not Travel” to Level 3 “Reconsider your need to travel” has. . .
The Federal Government’s decision to lower travel advice levels for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from Level 4 “Do Not Travel” to Level 3 “Reconsider your need to travel” has been welcomed by the Australian travel industry as a step forward to resuming some sort of normality in travel. The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision, as the change is expected to provide greater certainty for Australian travellers transiting through major Middle Eastern aviation hubs on their way to Europe, the United Kingdom, India and Africa. According to ATIA, more than 150,000 Australians have travelled through the region during the past six weeks, with the previous Level 4 advisory creating confusion around travel insurance coverage for passengers making brief airside connections. Improved clarity for travellersATIA said it had been working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Smartraveller throughout the period to ensure travel advice reflected both security risks and the realities facing transit passengers. Chief Executive Officer Dean Long described the downgrade as a sensible outcome for travellers. “This is a sensible and welcome adjustment, and one ATIA has been seeking for some time,” Long said. “For many Australians, these hubs are the connecting points that get them to the UK, Europe, India and Africa. ”Deon Long said the industry had been concerned that the previous advisory level created uncertainty for travellers and their insurance coverage when simply passing through major airport hubs. Lauren Oliver from TravelManagers told Travel Monitor, “It’s a welcome relief to see the advice level lowered. ”“Over the past few months, I’ve seen a few travellers comfortable travelling via the Middle East, while the others are more cautious and opt for alternative routes. I think the announcement is a huge step forward in restoring confidence, and I mirror ATIA’s view that those systems weren’t put in place for major international transit hubs and should have been focused more on stopovers,” Lauren Oliver added. “I think it will still be some time before we see complete consumer confidence in having voluntary stopovers in the Middle East, and it should and will likely remain that way until it’s been stable for a while. As of Tuesday this week, people were requesting to avoid the Middle East. It will be interesting to see how quickly people regain their confidence again. But I’m relieved to see this, it’s been a long few months of rebookings and constant “what should I do” questions, which have been hard because we didn’t have answers and trying to find availability via Asian hubs is getting more and more difficult. ”“Reading those headlines that the advice level has been lowered, I did breathe a sigh of relief,” Lauren Oliver concluded. Insurance and travel planning remain importantWhile welcoming the downgrade, ATIA noted that Level 3 remains a significant advisory level and that travellers should continue to monitor official government advice before departure. DFAT continues to advise Australians not to travel to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen, while some areas within Israel also remain under a “Do Not Travel” advisory. ATIA is encouraging travellers to seek professional advice before booking trips that involve transit through the region. “The best thing any traveller can do right now is speak with an ATIA Accredited travel agent or tour operator before they book,” Long said. Confidence in Middle East transit routesATIA said the updated advisory should help restore confidence in key international transit hubs while ensuring travellers retain access to comprehensive travel insurance coverage. The association also stressed the importance of keeping Smartraveller advice current and proportionate to maintain consumer confidence in government travel advisories. For more information, visitAustralian Travel Industry Association