To: The Australian Government, ACCC, and Industry Regulators

We, the undersigned, call for immediate reform in the travel and tourism sector to protect Australian consumers from unfair practices and breaches of Australian Consumer Law. For far too long, Australians have been subjected to deceptive and misleading conduct, with travel companies, including airlines, cruise operators, and tour agencies, refusing to provide services as promised and keeping consumers’ money without any legal consequences despite breaches of Australian Consumer Law .

What’s Happening:

 • Billions of dollars in consumer funds have been kept by airlines, cruise lines, and travel companies without refunds for services they didn’t provide, violating Australian Consumer Law.

 • Qantas and Jetstar are among the few airlines that have been penalized for refusing to refund money and engaging in deceptive practices, with many other companies escaping accountability.

 • Tourism lobby groups. The power and influence of lobby groups such as the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and Tourism and Transport Forum Australia (TTF) have contributed to this leniency in protecting consumers. These groups have continually lobbied the government to ensure that the interests of large tourism corporations are prioritized, allowing them to continue operating in violation of consumer rights without facing significant penalties or scrutiny.

 • During the pandemic, Australians lost billions of dollars when borders were closed, and services were canceled, with only 20% of money refunded. Many travel companies offered travel credits instead of refunds, leaving consumers with unusable funds for services they never received.

The Impact on Consumers:

 • This issue affects every Australian travel consumer, including businesses, families, individuals, and the wider community. Whether it’s a family booking a holiday, a small business owner planning a corporate retreat, or a traveller purchasing flights or cruises, the lack of accountability and fairness is felt by all.

 • Australians have paid for holidays, flights, and cruises that they will never take, often without the possibility of a refund.

 • Many consumers have been encouraged to fraudulently claim travel insurance to recover losses, further pushing up insurance premiums for all.

 • The Australian tourism sector generates hundreds of billions of dollars for the economy, but this often comes at the cost of consumer rights being ignored.

 

The Government’s Role in this Crisis:

We believe that the Australian government, through its ongoing relationship with the tourism industry and its failure to hold these businesses accountable, is complicit in the systemic failure to protect Australian consumers. While the government benefits from the billions of dollars that tourism contributes to the economy and tax revenue, this financial dependency has led to a clear conflict of interest, where protecting big business takes precedence over safeguarding the rights of everyday consumers.

The government’s ongoing complacency is harming Australians by permitting companies to continue to rip off consumers without consequence. For too long, consumers have been left stranded without refunds, and it’s time for this to change.

Self-regulation in the travel industry has repeatedly failed to protect consumers. Time and time again, travel companies have engaged in unlawful practices, exploiting loopholes and ignoring their obligations under Australian constitutional law. Despite the enormous  number of complaints and cases of misconduct, the industry continues to act with impunity, prioritizing profits over consumer rights. The lack of enforcement and accountability has allowed these violations to persist, leaving Australian travelers vulnerable to unfair treatment, financial losses, and legal uncertainty. It is clear that stronger government intervention and regulatory oversight are necessary to put an end to these systemic abuses.

What Needs to Happen:

 1. Stronger Enforcement of Australian Consumer Law: Tourism companies must be held accountable for their actions, required to provide full refunds to consumers as promised.

 2. Bond System or Trust Accounts: Just as in real estate and finance industries, the tourism sector must be required to set up a bond system or trust accounts to protect consumers’ funds similar to those imposed on other industries, such as real estate sales rental bonds, solicitors trust accounts, and the finance industry. This would ensure that in the event of service cancellation, consumers are not left out of pocket.

 3. Automatic Penalties for Breaches of Consumer Law: Introduce automatic penalties for breaches of Australian Consumer Law within the tourism industry. These penalties should be applied unilaterally, without the need for court cases, to swiftly address violations and hold businesses accountable for mistreating consumers. Automatic penalties would create a deterrent against deceptive and non-compliant practices.

 4. Ban on Deceptive and Misleading Conduct: The Australian government must take action against companies that push consumers into making fraudulent insurance claims to cover their travel issues. This not only misleads consumers but raises premiums for all.

 5. Stricter Penalties and Prosecutions: There needs to be a clear message sent to the tourism industry that they cannot escape accountability. Companies that breach Australian Consumer Law should face significant fines and penalties, similar to those faced by Qantas and Jetstar for failing to refund consumers.

 6. Government to Stop Prioritizing Tourism Lobby Groups over Consumer Rights: The government must cease giving special treatment to large tourism lobby groups that benefit from the tourism sector, often at the expense of consumers. It is time to put consumer protection first.

 

Why It Matters:

 • Bond System or Trust Accounts: Implementing trust accounts or a bond system would ensure that Australian consumers’ funds are protected, just as in the real estate rental market. If travel services are canceled or not provided, consumers would receive their money back immediately without relying on lengthy, stressful refund processes.

 • Automatic Penalties: By introducing automatic penalties, tourism operators would be held accountable immediately for breaches of consumer law. This proactive approach would reduce the burden on consumers and ensure faster enforcement without the need for lengthy legal battles.

 • Protecting Australian Consumers: The current system is not working for Australian consumers, who continue to lose money and services. It’s time for real reform to protect them from the predatory practices of large travel corporations.

 • Fairness for All: Travel companies, especially cruise lines and airlines, should be required to comply with the same consumer protection standards as any other industry in Australia.

Sign this petition to demand the government take immediate action to reform the travel and tourism sector, protect consumers, and ensure that businesses comply with Australian Consumer Law.

Together, we can put an end to deceptive practices and hold companies accountable for their actions.