Leaders in the tourism sector claim that discussing halting travel to Bali or imposing restrictions would be detrimental to the industry.
It follows requests from a Queensland LNP Senator to immediately halt flights to the popular tourist destination amid growing worries over the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Indonesia.
According to Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Brett Fraser, the sector depends on the assurance and confidence of consumers.
Since the lifting of COVID restrictions, the number of Australian visitors to Bali has increased significantly.
Far North Queensland’s Cairns Airport has received more than 1,400 passengers per week from Bali, compared to 23,000 passengers at Brisbane Airport over the previous month.
Government officials have rejected LNP Senator Susan McDonald’s call for an immediate halt to travel.
If planes aren’t going to be grounded, Ms. McDonald suggested imposing a seven-day quarantine.
Biosecurity procedures have been implemented in airports across the nation for flights coming back from Bali.
Since the illness was discovered in Indonesia for the first time in May, more than 300,000 animals there have been affected.
Many tourists may be unintentionally bringing the sickness to Australian soil, according to Ms. McDonald.
Many tourists may be unintentionally bringing the sickness to Australian soil, according to Ms. McDonald.
“The travellers going to Bali are travelling to go surfing, to have cultural interactions but not remembering that the pig farm or the cattle being farmed right next to the resort they are staying in,” she said.
“The wheels of their suitcase can be running through dung in the streets of the cities, the footwear that they are wearing even clothes if they have gone somewhere and they’ve patted or touched one of the animals in the streets or the animals nearby.
“This is not a disease that is only possible to spread if you’ve been onto a farm.”