The days of jetlagged travellers travelling to Australia in desperate search of a pen to fill out an orange card are about to end.
In what has been hailed as a major victory for the tourism industry, a new pilot program for a digital card for passengers arriving in the country was announced on Friday.
Margy Osmond, chief executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum, said replacing outdated paper cards with a digital Australian Travel Declaration was a fantastic first step towards more efficient travel across Tasmania.
“Finally, passengers landing in Australia will no longer have to fill out a paper arrival card with a pen. Paper cards are a relic of the past and we can do much better in the digital age,” Osmond said.
“These reforms will improve the experience of travelers at the airport upon arrival, while prioritizing border security through a more modern and efficient process, which we have long advocated for.”
The pilot program will initially be for Qantas passengers arriving from New Zealand, starting later this year.
But Ms Osmond said it was expected to be extended to other airlines.
The pilot project is an initiative of the Trans-Tasman Seamless Travel Group, which was set up last year to fulfil a commitment by the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand to explore ways to move towards seamless travel between the two countries.
The days of jet-lagged travellers travelling to Australia in desperate search of a pen to fill out an orange card are about to end (file photo)
The pilot programme was announced after New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Anthony Albanese met in Canberra.
The pilot program was announced after New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Anthony Albanese met in Canberra for their annual leaders’ meeting.
‘We discussed the report on progress on smooth travel, which again establishes the connection between our people and, obviously, our economic ties.
“Today’s announcement is the culmination of TTF’s persistent advocacy efforts on behalf of the industry and the impressive determination of government agencies on both sides of the ditch to implement critical border reforms,” he said.
‘The Trans-Tasman Seamless Travel Group will continue to meet to discuss new initiatives to improve the experience of passengers travelling across Tasmania, leveraging technology to make travel quicker and easier and attract more visitors to our shores.’
“We remain firmly committed to working with our New Zealand partners and driving further reforms to achieve seamless travel, with the aim of revolutionising the passenger experience for the benefit of the entire industry.”