AFTA hears from grass roots

A BREAKFAST “town hall” meeting at a coffee shop in the Sydney suburb of Cherrybrook this morning allowed local travel agents and tour operators to take their concerns to the highest levels in Canberra.

Local MP Julian Leeser, MP for Berowra was hosted alongside AFTA CEO Darren Rudd, with the pair taking the time to hear of the anxieties, hopes and issues of those on the front line of the COVID-19 travel shutdown.

Leeser paid tribute to Rudd, with whom he has had a close association over some years in his previous roles.

“He’s a person who gets things done in Canberra..not only does he have extraordinary networks but he is a policy leader and a policy thinker.”

Key issues raised included the continuation of the JobKeeper program or other ongoing support, the rising tide of entitlements which will have to be paid out if businesses are forced to make staff redundant, and the reality that domestic travel is not able to replace the massive amount of business lost due to ongoing border closures.

Leeser was also urged to encourage his government colleagues to highlight the benefits of booking through travel agents, and to help the industry by at least providing some certainty in terms of a date for a return to cruising.

One attendee also urged the adoption of technology to implement tracking of people arriving from overseas during their quarantine period, as a way of facilitating a return to travel.

Leeser and Rudd are pictured above with Graham Ross from Ross Garden Tours.