10 May Passenger Movement Charge increase will see an extra $520M lost out of Travel Sector May 10, 2023 By Amanda Rixon Media Release 0 The Federal Government decision to generate an extra $520M over the 5 years from 2022/23 from a $10 hike in the Passenger Movement Charge (PMC) on every person leaving Australia is disappointing given the current state of the Travel Sector. Revenue generated through the lifting of the PMC to $70 on every departure will now hit $1.38B in 2024/25, $420M of which is spent on Border Management. This is a tax introduced to fund Border Security measures and Travel already more than pays its way. With the Travel Sector on the cusp of recovery post-COVID, and consumer and corporate appetite for travel already under pressure due to ongoing cost-of-living pressures, now is not the time for additional taxes especially in a Budget in surplus. Travel is still 30% down on pre-COVID levels. Rather than charging every person leaving Australia more, it makes more sense to support the recovery of the sector so that more people, both Australians and tourists, are travelling. About the Passenger Movement Charge (PMC) The departure tax was first introduced at a rate of $10.00, the PMC now sits at $60.00 which is a 500 per cent increase. At $60.00, it is one of the highest departure taxes in the developed world. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PMC was generating over $1.2 billion in tax revenue each year, which was considerably greater than the current expenditure on border management by the Department of Home Affairs, and the Department of Agriculture and Water. Our industry is supportive of strong biosecurity measures to protect our natural environment and core industries Quotes attributable to AFTA CEO Dean Long “Today’s decision to increase the PMC by 16% is extremely disappointing and will make it harder for Australians families to stay connected. We know that the PMC does reduce air capacity to Australia and with supply of air seat still tracking 30% to pre COVID levels this will slow down our recovery.” “In the three years prior to the pandemic, the PMC collected on average $811 million more than needed to fund the biosecurity requirements to keep the community and agriculture sector pest free. The Government is now demanding an additional $200m for next year which is unwarranted and not appropriate especially in the current environment.” “AFTA, TTF and AAA will be coordinating the Sector’s response and our efforts through the parliamentary review process to get the best possible outcome for our members, clients and the Sector at large.” [1] NOTE – this is expenditure on Home Affairs; Budget papers do not allow us to estimate spend on Agriculture/BioSecurity measures MEDIA CONTACT: LJ Loch 0488 038 555 lj.loch@afta.com.au Related Articles Travel has a new home – the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) The Australian Travel Industry has a new peak industry body representing travel agents and advisors, tour operators, consolidators and wholesalers replacing the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) effective today. AFTA’s Women in Travel Summit now sold out Tickets to the highly anticipated Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) Women in Travel Summit (March 13) have now sold out. AFTA unveils Women in Travel Summit program The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) has today revealed the program for the highly anticipated Women in Travel Summit in Sydney which will inform AFTA’s inaugural Workforce Report. Gow-Gates Insurance Broking Group appoints Judith Crompton, Director of Travel Insurance Services Gow-Gates Insurance Broking Group increases its position and activities into Travel Insurance, with the major appointment of Judith Crompton Director, Travel Insurance Services. Recent data breach illustrates travel industry cyber threat In January, details emerged of a data breach at an Australian travel agency, which saw more than 112,000 records from the company’s database leaked online. The incident saw details including passport images, travel visas, itineraries and tickets, as well as partial credit card numbers, leaked from the company’s non-password-protected database. ATIA Launches ‘Beyond Borders’ Travel Summit 25 October 2024 Some of the Travel Industry’s most influential minds will front the Australian Travel Industry Association’s (ATIA) inaugural summit, Beyond Borders, in Sydney on Friday 25 October, the day before the National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA). Showing 0 Comment Comments are closed.