Australia has been making headlines around the world after one of the worst fire seasons in its history. And understandably, many business travellers and tourists are unsure whether or not it is now safe to travel to Australia.
The good news is that although bushfires are impacting some parts of Australia, thankfully many areas of Australia remain unaffected and are still welcoming visitors. Even for most of the areas that were affected by bushfires in 2019, the threat has now passed and these parts of Australia have now reopened.
If you’re organising an incentive trip, corporate event or conference for your staff and you’re wondering if Australia is still a viable destination, here’s the latest on the bushfire situation as well as where to find accurate, authorised and up-to-date travel advice.
How can I stay up to date with travel alerts?
To stay up to date on the bushfire situation both as you plan your trip and after you arrive in Australia we recommend you take a look at the travel alerts on the Tourism Australia website. Tourism Australia is a trusted source of the most up-to-date and accurate information, officially endorsed by the Australian Government.
As well as general travel alerts and bushfire safety information, the Tourism Australia website has an extensive list of links to keep you fully updated at all times, including links for:
- regional weather updates,
- traffic conditions,
- air quality information,
- official emergency broadcasters,
- the bushfire information hotline,
- local state and rural fire authorities.
Are Australia’s major cities safe from fires?
Australia is an incredibly vast country and even during the height of the bushfires in New South Wales and Victoria, for most Australians, it was still business as usual. Capital cities and many regional areas were largely unaffected by bushfires happening far away and mostly in rural communities.
Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra all experienced problems with air quality at the end of 2019 but were otherwise unaffected by the fires. Since then the air quality in these cities has returned to normal. There are currently no fires in the Northern Territory (where Uluru is) or any of the capital cities around the nation.
To check the latest bushfire information and travel alerts at any time simply go to the Tourism Australia Website.
Will the bushfires affect my trip down under?
Unless you’re intending to visit one of the regional areas that were hardest hit by the fires, the bushfires won’t affect your trip down under.
All international and domestic airports are now operating as normal and all major destinations in Australia are safe from the threat of bushfires and ready to welcome visitors.
You can do your bit to help to support Australia and our tourism providers, by visiting. If you’ve already an event or planned a trip to an area affected by bushfires, rescheduling instead of cancelling your trip will help to support our communities in the coming months.
Planning a work conference, a corporate event or incentive travel trips to Australia?
ID Events Australia is one of the country’s leading and award winning Destination Management Companies, providing expert local knowledge when planning your next incentive, corporate event or conference Down Under.
Our experienced destination management team has extensive knowledge and expertise of local and national resources, venues, products and services. So if a destination or a supplier has been temporarily impacted by the bushfires, we will find an equivalent alternative.
Whether you’re located overseas or here in Australia, don’t let the threat of bushfires scare you away from our beautiful country.
Australia’s officially open for business and we’d love to see you!
