CLIA: Prolonged cruise ship ban threatens thousands of Australian jobs
Cruise Lines International Association Australasia is warning thousands of jobs are at risk over the cruise ship ban.
Analysis commissioned by CLIA says the suspension will cost Australia more than $1.4 billion in lost economic activity by mid-September and put nearly 5,000 jobs at risk.
Research by AEC Group says the cruise shutdown has already led to $500 million economic loss to the end of May.
If the cruise suspension continues beyond the current end date of September 17 and impacts the summer high-season, job and economic losses will be significantly worse.
It forecasts an additional 13,000 jobs could go due to economic losses of $3.8 billion.
"Cruise tourism is worth $5.2 billion a year to the Australia economy and supports more than 18,000 jobs. The suspensions that cruise lines and governments have enacted worldwide have been the right response but there is an enormous cost to those who make up the wider cruise community," said CLIA Australasia MD, Joel Katz.
"There are many thousands of travel agents, tour operators, ports and destinations, technical support providers, and food and beverage suppliers who support the cruise industry and are suffering enormous financial stress."
CLIA has written to the Australian government to emphasize the importance of the cruise industry to the job market and the wider economic value to a number of indirect industries that it supports.
CLIA also requested an extension to the JobKeeper scheme for travel agents and t travel industry workers.
"CLIA cruise lines are using this time to ensure we learn as much as possible from Covid-19 and develop the best possible response," Katz added.
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