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NSW leads push for more information and rights for travellers to restore confidence

CHOICE is calling on other states to follow NSW’s lead and introduce a mandatory information standard for travellers.
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Last updated: 10 Nov 2021
new south wales travel beaches information standard

New South Wales will become the first jurisdiction in Australia to introduce a minimum information standard for companies’ terms and conditions to comply with, to make it easier for travellers to understand their rights when it comes to travel refunds. 

The move, by Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson, comes after a CHOICE report called for the introduction of a mandatory information standard at the time of booking. 

“These changes mean that customers will be fully informed before they commit to a purchase, helping them avoid an unexpected shock if they have to cancel or defer,” Anderson told the Sydney Morning Herald. 

“NSW will be the first jurisdiction in Australia to take this important step.”

Read more:
Only a quarter of Australians feel confident making travel plans

In October a CHOICE survey found that only 23% of Australians feel confident booking flights, accommodation or other services in the next 12 months. 

Another survey in July also found that fewer than one in five people received a full refund on trips cancelled because of COVID. In most cases the refunds were processed in three to six months. 

CHOICE CEO Alan Kirkland says the move by NSW should help restore some of that confidence for travellers from the state. 

“CHOICE strongly welcomes the announcement that the NSW Government will introduce an information standard to help people better understand what will happen if travel is cancelled,” says Kirkland. 

CHOICE strongly welcomes the announcement that the NSW Government will introduce an information standard to help people better understand what will happen if travel is cancelled

Alan Kirkland, CHOICE CEO

“Right now, travellers are left unsupported by our consumer laws, especially if travel plans are cancelled because of a government lockdown. This has left too many people out of pocket and struggling to navigate complex terms and conditions.” 

Kirkland is calling on other states and territories to follow suit, as well as the federal government to act. 

“NSW is the first jurisdiction to act on the cancellation chaos that we’ve faced in the last two years,” he says. “Consumer affairs ministers across the country should be considering how they can make travel bookings easier and strengthen refund rights.”

Read more:
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What the CHOICE report is calling for

  1. Changes to make it easier for people to receive refunds.
  2. Minimum voucher/credit rights.
  3. A mandatory industry code for all airlines and large travel providers.
  4. A travel and tourism industry ombudsman.
  5. A mandatory information standard at time of booking.
  6. An ACCC market study into the travel and tourism sector.
  7. A national travel restrictions website.
Jarni

I started journalism at the Malaysian online news organisation Malaysiakini in 2013, before returning to Australia to study a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at RMIT in Melbourne. Before joining CHOICE, I worked for four years with SBS News as investigative journalist, digital journalist, cadet and South Australian correspondent. I've worked internationally in Malaysia and Indonesia and on a freelance basis for Al Jazeera English, ABC 730, Radio National, Reuters, BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle. I was winner of the Walkley Foundation's Young Journalist of the Year student category award in 2016 and the recipient of a Melbourne Press Club Michael Gordon Fellowship in 2022. In 2023 I was a Highly Commended finalist in the Quill Awards and I was a winner at the 2024 Excellence in Civil Liberties Journalism Awards. I am a proud member of the journalist's union the MEAA and in 2024 I was elected to serve on the Federal Council (National Media Section). You can find me on Twitter and LinkedIn. Recent articles by Jarni Groceries cost more than twice as much in remote First Nations communities Drive one of these car brands? This is how much of your data they're tracking Medical centres forcing patients to share their personal data Facial recognition technology in use at major Australian stadiums First Nations people missing tens of millions in super

I started journalism at the Malaysian online news organisation Malaysiakini in 2013, before returning to Australia to study a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at RMIT in Melbourne. Before joining CHOICE, I worked for four years with SBS News as investigative journalist, digital journalist, cadet and South Australian correspondent. I've worked internationally in Malaysia and Indonesia and on a freelance basis for Al Jazeera English, ABC 730, Radio National, Reuters, BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle. I was winner of the Walkley Foundation's Young Journalist of the Year student category award in 2016 and the recipient of a Melbourne Press Club Michael Gordon Fellowship in 2022. In 2023 I was a Highly Commended finalist in the Quill Awards and I was a winner at the 2024 Excellence in Civil Liberties Journalism Awards. I am a proud member of the journalist's union the MEAA and in 2024 I was elected to serve on the Federal Council (National Media Section). You can find me on Twitter and LinkedIn. Recent articles by Jarni Groceries cost more than twice as much in remote First Nations communities Drive one of these car brands? This is how much of your data they're tracking Medical centres forcing patients to share their personal data Facial recognition technology in use at major Australian stadiums First Nations people missing tens of millions in super

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