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Commissioned economic research by the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) shows continued hard State and Territory border closures was now costing the nation 702 jobs a day with a per 24-hour hit to the country’s GDP of $84 million.

On the eve of Friday’s National Cabinet, ATIC has again called for remaining States and Territories to lift internal border restrictions by July and re-open in line with the agreed ‘Road Map for a COVID Safe Australia’ established in early May.

Analysis by Lucid Economics shows the disturbing jobs and financial snapshot that the continued closure of borders by the majority of States and Territories is having.

The Lucid Economics research reveals the Gross Economic Value of existing closed State and Territory borders of four states (Qld, WA, SA, Tas) and the Northern Territory to interstate travellers, including domestic tourists, was $84 million per day.

This is the equivalent to 702 jobs Australia-wide – or over 4900 each week – that would have been supported by normalised interstate travel and people movements.

ATIC Executive Director Simon Westaway said the continued hard border controls in place that have greatly restricted free flow of domestic travel across Australia was also now stymying attempts to re-boot domestic tourism and travel more broadly as other restrictions ease.

“There is no substitute for existing lost interstate travel and tourism across Australia from recent times. But the human and financial cost of not re-opening our borders soon is now very stark and continues to escalate day by day,” Mr Westaway said.

“The retention of closed internal borders is destroying jobs for our critical tourism and visitor economy, but the collective cost is also being felt Australia-wide. On these figures the nation has 4900 less pay packets each week and is collectively out of pocket by $590 million.

“Our tourism industry has been in lock step with the public-health led response to successfully tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. ATIC is calling time on removing internal border restrictions and seeks a return to fully open interstate travel arrangements across Australia by July.”

Mr Westaway also pointed to major tourism aligned businesses like the Qantas Group which had indicated that a full re-opening of our internal borders would enable more flights sooner and a faster return of its previous national route network.