by Jim Byers
Last updated: 6:52 PM ET, Mon January 6, 2020
The bush fires in Australia have tourism officials scrambling to answer questions from anxious travellers.
The fires, which have already caused 25 human deaths and countless animal deaths, mostly in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, have been creating headlines around the world.
The BBC today was reporting that fires have claimed nearly 1,600 homes in New South Wales, plus 200 in the state of Victoria and 100 in other states. The Insurance Council of Australia estimated that damages have climbed past the $700 million CAD mark.
According to a report on The Economic Times, resorts in southeast New South Wales and northeast Victoria have had to turn visitors away.
It's important to keep in mind that the fires, while devastating, are limited in their scope. Downtown Sydney and downtown Melbourne have had smoke advisories, but the fires appear to be quite far from the central business districts and from major tourist attractions.
Rain began to fall in parts of the country over the past couple of days, which has helped. But some forecasts suggest dry, hot weather will soon return.
In a statement sent to TravelPulse Canada, Tourism Australia officials said their top priorities are the emergency response teams and the safety of communities and tourists in affected areas.
"Australia will continue to be a world-leading and safe tourism destination, whether in unaffected regions or those that will recover from these bushfires in the months and years to come," they said. "There are many regions within Australia that remain unaffected and will continue to offer tourists the incredible tourism experiences that our country is known for.
"At this stage it is too early to quantify the full impact of the bushfires on the tourism industry, and any knock-on effect in terms of international visitation to Australia. We are still gathering feedback from industry and monitoring impacts on future bookings closely as the situation unfolds."
Officials noted that many of the country's best-known tourism regions have previously faced natural disasters such as bushfires and cyclones "yet bounced back in a strong demonstration of their resilience as world-class tourism destinations. When affected communities are ready to once again welcome visitors, tourism will continue to play an important role in their supporting their recovery."
A story on vice.com on Monday said Tourism Australia has temporarily withdrawn a series of ads that feature pop star Kylie Minogue pitching Australia trips to British residents.
"The best thing that we can do at a time like this is to back our tourism industry and communities and continue to market all the wonderful things about Australia and our people to the world,: Tourism Australia said in its statement. "Tourism Australia, alongside its state and territory partners, will have an important role to play in highlighting that Australia will continue to be a world-leading and safe tourism destination, whether in unaffected regions or those that will recover from these bushfires in the months and years to come."
Officials said all travellers heading to Australia should seek the most up-to-date information prior to their departure and keep informed about changing conditions while on the ground.
"We would encourage all travellers coming to Australia to seek the most up to date information prior to departure and remain informed about changing conditions whilst on the ground. The Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology provides overall weather updates for all parts of Australia, including the latest fire warnings: www.bom.gov.au."
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