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Long Distance, Tourism, Charter and Express  

As the Australian government has moved to a 3-Step Framework for a COVIDSafe Australia and to nationally reopen to a state of ‘COVID Normal’, wherever it is safe to do so, by December 2020, this Industry Hub will no longer be maintained. However the business tools and general information on the Hub will remain on this site until September 2021.

This page contains relevant information specifically to the Long Distance, Tour, Charter and Express sector of the bus and coach industry and contains current campaigns, reports and various activities that the BIC has undertaken to help Industry through this difficult period.  

Go to our most recent Campaigns. The BIC has provided assistance to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications in the development of a set of principles for the safe Covid-19 operation of buses and coaches in the private (deregulated) sector. The Australian Government made available these guiding principles on July 9 2020. Download here.

It is important to note that a large percentage of the coach travel economy is generated from domestic tourists and local charter (eg. sports, local groups and educational). The National Visitor Survey (NVS) year ended March 2018, clearly reflects this with 3,161,000 domestic trips were taken by coach compared with 292,000 international visitors; 34% of the total international visitors also chose to travel across Australia to see regional Australia.

The BIC, along with industry, has compiled a rescue package that has been sent to government at the local, state and federal level including Ministers/Shadow Ministers of Transport, Roads and Infrastructure, Tourism, State Premiers and capital city Lord Mayors that outlines the key covid-impacts for the tourism, charter and express coach sector.  The report provides 3 key initiatives, outlined below, which will have an immediate positive effect to enable coach operators to stay in business and keep running.

1. Immediate financial assistance to provide a full diesel rebate (as happens in the mining sector). 
   
   
2. The extension of JobKeeper for our industry beyond September. For the purposes of eligibility for government support and initiatives, the services undertaken in the regulated (government contracts) and deregulated (coach tours and charter) environments need to be considered as separate “business units” or entities. 
   
   
3. Consideration of a travel rebate for fares to encourage Australians to travel by coach across the nation, not over it. This potentially will also provide a significant injection into the local economy of regional towns across Australia.  

Campaigns  

• July 2020 Campaign


• May 2020 Campaign


• April 2020 Campaign 
  

July Campaign

July 9, 2020
The BIC has a number of key initiatives for the coach sector and we have written formally to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, all Premiers, Treasurers, Transport and Tourism Ministers on a number of occasions. This was recently ramped up with a national media campaign with a call to action from governments on a rescue package for our sector and contains the three key proposals as part of this strategy.

July 7, 2020
4BC Queensland Neil Breen morning show - Listen to the podcast featuring Executive Director of the BIC, Michael Apps interviewed by Neil Breen of Radio 4BC on the impacts of Covid-19 on the coach sector . 

Covid Radio 2020 07 07 Breen Podcast (7295 KB)

 

July 4, 2020
Media Statement regarding the impacts of Covid-19 and the industry rescue package that includes immediate financial assistance to provide a full diesel rebate, like the mining sector receives, the extension of JobKeeper for our industry beyond September and consideration of a travel rebate of fares to encourage the Australian public to travel across the nation not over it. This will support our local tourism industry and in particular local regional tourism. 

May 2020 Campaign

The Tourism Restart Taskforce as a part of The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Tourism (ACCI), is responsible for reporting to the federal government on recovery from Covid-19. The BIC is an active member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and is providing key advice and recommendations relating to the bus and coach industry and the return of cross-border travel. The taskforce has identified 3 key phases - Hibernation, Immediate road out and Medium-long term recovery. The BIC has provided a bus and coach industry specific submission outlining the impacts and providing key recommendations which is available on the updated de-regulated bus sector report on the Industry Hub.

The BIC has also been hearing from a number of you on the challenges currently in the coach sector of industry and has done a lot of work in the background picking up your feedback and providing this to government. Even on “the hill” we have local issues on coach movement. The ABC News recently published an article on the impacts of Covid-19 and the tourism industry in Canberra and is sure to resonate Australia wide.

April 2020 Campaign;

A key issue that the BIC and BAN have been addressing in April 2020 is the Covid-19 impacts on the de-regulated sector - the long distance, tourism, charter and express services. Like many other Australian businesses, Covid-19 and government lock down policies have completely stopped most bus and coach business operations in the de-regulated sector.

The BIC is working alongside the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, the National Covid-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC) and consulting to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A significant part of our Covid work program is providing impact reports and key recommendations. The BIC has a number of key initiatives for the coach sector and is in regular communications with Premiers, Treasurers, Transport and Tourism Ministers and has provided a report on the de-regulated sector on  April 21, 2020.

Download the de-regulated sector report on Covid-19 impacts and recommended government stimulus. 

Tourism Restart Taskforce

Australian Government Agencies, including Austrade, the National COVID Coordination Commission, Tourism Australia and Treasury have worked with the Tourism Restart Taskforce to develop the Tourism restart program. This plan spells out the basis for the supply-side actions required to capitalise on the demand created by Tourism Australia for visitation, both domestic and international. The Tourism Restart Plan released on July 4, 2020 can be viewed here. and the proposed Tourism Timetable can be viewed here.              

COVID-19 Emergency Contact Numbers by State

If you or your staff feel unwell, have a fever or sore throat. PLEASE do not go to the medical centre/family clinic or the hospital, please contact the communicable disease control branch by state directly.

Coronavirus Health Information Line Operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week 1800 020 080.

• ACT health: 02 6205 2155
• NSW health: 1300 066 055
• SA health: 1300 232 272
• Tas health: 1800 671 738
• Qld health: 13 432 584
• Vic health: 1300 651 160
• WA health: 08 922 8588