MEMBER LOGIN ERMS PORTAL
ARA Australian Retailers Association
ARA Australian Retailers Association
  • ABOUT
    ABOUT
    • About Us
    • Our History
    • Advisory Committees
    • Council
    • Leadership Team
    • Strategic Partners
    • Registered Training Organisation
  • JOIN THE ARA
  • SERVICES
    SERVICES
    • Advocacy & Policy
    • Employment Relations Advice
    • Human Resources (ERMS) Portal 
    • Legal Assistance
    • Tenancy Advice
    • Training & Education
    • Member Benefits Program
    • ARA Insurance
    • ARA Talent Registry
  • TRAINING
    TRAINING
    • Retail Ready Training
    • Career Upskilling
    • Leadership Training
    • Business Solutions
    • Industry Projects
    • Hire Talented Staff
    • Financial Literacy Education Program
  • RESOURCES
    RESOURCES
    • ARA Retail Review Report 2022
    • Business support
    • Covid-19 Resource Hub
    • Diversity, Equality & Inclusion
    • Media
    • News & Insights
    • Podcasts
    • Research Hub
    • Sustainability
  • EVENTS
    EVENTS
    • Upcoming Events
    • OnDemand Recordings
    • First Responders Day 2022
    • ARA Gala No.1
    • ARA Leaders Forum 2023
  • Contact Us
    Access our Covid-19 resource hub for up-to-date state and territory restrictions
    Australian Retailers Association

    Retailers welcome the return of international travellers

    • Tuesday 8 February 2022

    Australia’s largest retail representative body, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), said the reopening of the international border is a welcome relief for businesses particularly small businesses who are heavily reliant on international tourists, including travel retailers and tourism operators, who’ve experienced significant downturns since the pandemic hit.

     

    ARA CEO Paul Zahra said the announcement is an important confidence boost for business and it sends a strong signal to the rest of the world that Australia is finally back open for business.

     

    “This has been a long time coming, after more than 700 days cut off from the rest of the world. It’s critical to business confidence that we remain consistent in our plans to reopen and stay open,” Mr Zahra said.

     

    “Whilst this is a positive step in our Covid recovery, it will take years for international travel patterns to return to anywhere near pre-pandemic levels. It means a slow and staggered recovery rather than an immediate snap back to the way things were in 2019. Tourism is a key driver of economic growth with international visitors spending around $45 billion in 2018-19, before the pandemic hit.

     

    “The revitalisation of our CBDs needs to remain a key focus as the return of international tourists, students and workers aren’t silver bullet solutions. We need to incentivise people back to our city centres, back to the office and back enjoying the cultural attractions which make a trip to the city an unrivalled experienced.

     

    “It’s also important that the states and territories are aligned in their approach to managing overseas arrivals. We’re going to repel tourists if they have to go into quarantine for several days.

     

    “Western Australia remains a roadblock to our global positioning with its border remaining closed. We call on the WA State Government to set a date for the reopening, so the country is united in its approach to living with Covid.”

     
     
     

    ENDS…


     

    Media Enquiries:

    ARA Media Team

    T 0419 270 863

    E media@retail.org.au

     

    About us: The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the oldest, largest and most diverse national retail body, representing a $360bn sector which employs 1.3 million Australians and is the largest private sector employer in the country. As Australia’s peak retail body, representing more than 100,000 retail shop fronts and online stores, the ARA informs, advocates, educates, protects and unifies our independent, national and international retail community. To learn more about ARA’s exclusive member benefits and more, visit retail.org.au

    SHARE THIS ARTICLE
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin

    Recent Releases

    Australian Retailers Association

    Retail sales strengthen in April amidst inflationary pressures

      Australian retail sales continued to strengthen in April, with trade increasing 9.9% compared to the same time last year, according to Mastercard...

    READ MORE
    Australian Retailers Association

    Pensioners, mature age critical to resolving retail workforce shortages

      With acute labour shortages continuing as a major barrier to retail recovery, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is supporting calls to allow...

    READ MORE
    Australian Retailers Association

    Retail sales reach record levels in March as spending challenges loom

     

    READ MORE
    See All

    Sign up for ARA newsletters

    Strategic Partners

    • Afterpay white logo-1
    • Amex-logo-2
    • Deloitte-1
    • Fabric-logo-2
    • Hitch Advisory - Logo - white-2
    • mastercard-logo-white-2
    • QUT_SQUARE_MONO_REV-2
    • Rest-logo
    • Salesforce-1

    Partners

    • 1200px-Amazon_Web_Services_Logo_edited_edited
    • good360 logo
    • Meta_lockup_mono_white_RGB-1
    • mst marguee_edited_edited_edited
    • Officeworks_Logo_White_RGB
    • RM

    Supporters

    • NRF-logp
    • Australian-CCI-logo
    • Associations-forum-logo
    • FIRA-logo-1280x500 (1)_edited
    • GS1_Australia_Full-Transparency_White_827x436

    About

    • About
    • Member Benefits
    • Membership Application
    • Membership Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Code of Ethics
    • ARA COVIDSafe Retail Plan

    Training

    • RTO Policies & Procedures
    • Compliance
    • Nationally Recognised Training Officer

    Contact us

    phone-icon.png

    1300 368 041

    envelope-icon.png

    info@retail.org.au

    place-icon.png

    Level 1,  112 Wellington Pde

    East Melbourne 3002

    Join our community

    The ARA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, learn and live. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and also recognise Australia’s First Nations’ peoples as Australia’s first traders with a sophisticated network of trading paths that have facilitated the exchange of goods, knowledge and culture for millennia

    Copyright Australian Retailers Association 2021

    ALREADY AN ARA MEMBER?

    Login to view member-only content:

    Login

    NOT AN ARA MEMBER YET?

    Join us today to access ARA member-only content and events.

    Register Now