The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) is ensuring travel advisors are kept informed about foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) with a training webinar to keep Aussies travelling safely to Indonesia and Australia free from the highly contagious disease.
AFTA will hold a webinar for travel agents in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry via MS Teams on Wednesday, 3 August at 2,00 pm (AEST).
There are growing calls from some within our community to close the border to Indonesia, which would have a devastating impact on Australia’s travel Sector.
AFTA says, therefore, that the industry needs to be doing everything it can to help clients not accidentally breach Australia’s quarantine.
The event will be live streamed with opportunities to ask questions. The session will also be recorded and available on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website.
The webinar will provide advice on
- what information to pass on to travellers, in particular when travelling to Indonesia
- the importance of biosecurity in protecting Australia
- what travellers can do to make their return to Australia as smooth as possible.
FMD is considered one of Australia’s greatest biosecurity threats and it is estimated an outbreak in Australia could cost the Australian economy up to $80 billion over 10 years and cripple our sheep, beef and pork industries.
Speaking about the need for agents to play their part in stemming foot-and-mouth, AFTA CEO Dean Long said, “There are simple steps that anyone coming into Australia from countries where foot-and-mouth exists, including Bali and Indonesia, must take to protect Australia’s livestock industries and avoid a flow-on effect that could cost Australia more than $80 billion if there were an outbreak here.”
“Closing the highly important Indonesian travel corridor at this stage would be a very blunt measure with massive economic and cultural damage to the Australian marketplace and travel sector.
“We obviously need to strike the right balance while also keeping the critical travel artery between Australia and Indonesia, including Bali, open safely.”
Anyone can register for the webinar here