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International Travel Unlikely To Return To Normal For Australians Until 2024

International Travel Unlikely To Return To Normal For Australians Until 2024

Experts have warned it will be a long time before we see flights and prices get back to pre-pandemic levels.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Aussies were positively exploding with excitement at the news we'd soon be able to travel to New Zealand.

After no international holidays for more than a year, some people were even starting to think airplane food wasn't all that bad.

But just because we'll be able to hop across the Tasman by next week, don't get you hopes up about flying to other places anytime soon.

Deloitte Access Economics has published its quarterly business outlook and the news isn't good for people hoping for international travel to return to pre-pandemic levels.

The outlook predicts international borders will open up gradually, that there will still be some form of quarantine for incoming travellers for some time and that the numbers of flights will be pretty limited.

PA

Deloitte economist Chris Richardson said in his assessment: "That keeps international travel - both inbound and outbound - pretty weak in 2022, and it may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024."

That will no doubt be crushing news for some who are desperate to see family and loved ones in other corners of the globe.

Keep in mind, Deloitte Access Economics' outlook was published before Australia's coronavirus vaccine rollout was so spectacularly bungled.

The number of people who have received the jab is 3.4 million doses below expectation and last week the government slapped an advisory on the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under the age of 50 due to the very rare risk of blood clots.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also ditched the target of getting the Australian population vaccinated by the end of the year.

"The government has also not set, nor has any plans to set any new targets for completing first doses," he said in a statement.

"While we would like to see these doses completed before the end of the year, it is not possible to set such targets given the many uncertainties involved."

Thankfully, the government has secured 20 million more Pfizer vaccines to help with the shortage however it's unknown what the rollout will look like over the coming months.

This, in tandem with the way the pandemic is tracking, means travelling to Europe for their summer seems to be off the cards for us for a while.

The only good news from Deloitte's outlook report is that the Australian economy is 'roaring' back post-pandemic.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Australia