The imminent return of cruise ships to Australian shores has prompted environmental concerns, as travel agents warn the financial struggles are far from over.
International cruise ships have been banned from arriving and departing from Australia since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the federal government said on Tuesday it will not renew the current ban, meaning they'll be able to return from 17 April with additional safety measures in place.
These will include passengers needing to be double vaccinated, along with enhanced pre-arrival reporting and risk identification, as well as stress testing emergency responses.
John Hart, executive chair of Australia's Chamber for Tourism, welcomed the announcement and said cruise liners make an enormous contribution to the tourism industry.
"It's about $5.2 billion and about 18,000 direct jobs. But it's not just that that's important. It's important that on embarkation we get all sorts of accommodation bookings, as we do bookings for restaurants, attractions, at all the ports of call," he said.
"It's a massive contribution to our tourism ecosystem."
Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said the decision would mean a boost for overseas visitors.
“This is great news for the cruise industry, tourism, the broader economy and the Australians who love to take a cruise holiday,” he said.
“The resumption of cruising is another key step forward in the tourism sector’s recovery from COVID-19.”
Cruise ship Radiance of the Seas departs Sydney Harbour on 4 April 2020. Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
"We often think that cruises coming to ports in Australia, but also the world, and bringing in thousands of visitors, but the reality is those visitors are not really spending much in those local economies," she said.
"They're staying on the boat so they're not spending money on accommodation, they have many of their meals and things take place on the boat, on the ship itself, so they're not necessarily dining in restaurants and so on.
"And so if you're only onshore for a few hours, then the economic impact is pretty minimal."
She also said cruises leave behind a significant carbon footprint.
"I don't think it's a good news day for Australian waterways. We know that cruise ships have considerable environmental impacts through their waste, their fuel consumption, their carbon emissions," she said.
"So it's not really a very exciting day environmentally for Australia with the return of the cruises."
In 2019, more than 600,000 cruise ship passengers were welcomed into Australia from almost 350 ships.
International cruise ships will still need to meet all state and territory public health requirements they berth in.
In the Northern Territory, the cruise ship industry was bringing in around $60 million in annual expenditure before the pandemic.
Tourism Minister Natasha Fyles said that cruise liners allow tourists to experience some of the most remote areas of the country, and engage with First Nations culture.
She said a number of international expedition cruise operators have already indicated they'd like to visit the NT this year.
"So we're really excited. We've worked with our health authorities to ensure these cruises can safely return to the territory," she said.
"We've done a fantastic job in keeping Territorians and some of the most vulnerable people in the world safe during the pandemic, but we look forward to more normal times and more normal travel opportunities."
'Months before I make money'
But local tourism operators may not see a financial uptick in business for many months.
John Fitzpatrick runs his business in the regional Victorian city of Bendigo. He said the last two years have been "impossible", with the ban on cruise ships taking away 30 to 40 per cent of his revenue.
Following the announcement, Mr Fitzpatrick said it will still be five or six months until he makes any money.
"I think what the politicians don't understand and what the general public doesn't understand is when you sell a cruise to someone travelling in March next year, we don't make that money until January," he said.
"So, I'm still sitting here earning very little, and if they open the cruises up, the cruises start cruising October or November, I still don't make that until August, so I've still got five or six months before I make any money."
The Australian Federation of Travel Agents expects the cruise line sector to be running back at full capacity by 2024.
Chief executive Dean Long said that states and territories should follow the federal government's lead and clarify their openness to allow cruise ships back.
"State governments also have the capacity to keep their borders closed to certain activities. What we do need to see, though — and I think we're having some very good discussions on the eastern seaboard specifically about having health regulations right to allow cruise ships to come back," he said.
"We do expect there to be cruising in June and July and the second half of this year, and that's been from the really good discussions with state and territory health officials."
Additional reporting by Emma Brancatisano and AAP.
