Flight Centre Travel Group has urged South African travellers to not to cancel their travel arrangements to ‘bushfire-stricken’ Australia. This follows the US escalating its advisory for travellers to reconsider their travel, exercise caution and postpone travel to affected regions after the Australian state of New South Wales declared a week-long state of emergency on January 10.
In case you missed it. acres of land and homes have been destroyed with a devastating loss of wildlife recorded since September 2019. It is the worst bushfires reported in the country in decades.
Sue Garrett, General Manager of Product and Marketing at the Flight Centre Travel Group urged South African travellers to monitor the situation and to consult their travel agent before travelling. Affected regions include the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
"Despite the travel advisory, most destinations remain safe and open to visitors. All international airports are operating as usual. Some roads and major highways have been closed in affected regions,” she said.
"There are very challenging conditions in certain parts of these states, while other areas remain unaffected," she said.
Here are some of her tips:
- Check in with your travel agent to find out if your trip will be impacted.
- Talk to your travel insurance provider to check what is/is not covered, and plan accordingly.
- Keep travel agent, travel insurance and local emergency services contact details on hand.
- Monitor Tourism Australia's social media and turn on push notifications to receive updates.
- Tourism Australia is updating this website page daily with areas that are impacted by the bushfires, as well as providing safety advice and alerts.
- Monitor weather reports and air quality websites.
- Keep mobile devices charged.
- Comply with guidance from the local authorities at all times.
- Be prepared for travel delays and disruption in affected regions.