Third generation Illawarra business the Kollaras Group has joined others across Australia voicing support for a carefully planned revival of domestic cruise operations in 2021 following the industry shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Such a return to cruising would initially involve restricted local cruises for local residents only, with limited passenger numbers, 100 per cent testing of guests and crew, and extensive screening and sanitation protocols.
The call for a carefully planned return comes as ongoing suspensions in the cruise industry wipe billions of dollars from the Australian economy.
Kollaras Group managing director John Kollaras said like many other businesses supporting the cruise industry the Illawarra based beverage wholesaler was forced to cut staff and rationalise operations when cruise ships stopped sailing in March.
The impact was so great on the business and its workforce the family decided not to celebrate Kollaras's 60th anniversary this year.
But Mr Kollaras said the opportunity to be featured in a new Cruise Lines International Association #WeAreCruise video series highlighting the economic impact suffered by businesses and the 25,000 jobs that are at risk while the cruise industry remains at anchor, was something positive and constructive he could do. He hopes it means the company can soon put staff it was forced to stand down back on.
In his video Mr Kollaras explains how the cruise industry supply chain has been impacted and reveals their need for more certainty.
"I think clarity is what everybody requires," he said.
" A plan, a framework, so that everyone can collaborate, from government through to the downstream suppliers like us, to make sure we can restart this industry and get people cruising again."
The Kollaras Group is one of the biggest suppliers of beverages to the cruise industry in the southern hemisphere.
"It probably represents about 15 per cent of our revenue," Mr Kollaras said.
"We do Australia, New Zealand and Asia. So we are a fairly major part of the industry. It is pretty quiet in our Albion Park warehouse now."
Mr Kollaras said there has been a significant effort from those in the industry about what they are going to do around safety and COVID-19 controls.
He said many dining venues and hotels are showing shown how effective good measures can be.
"When I look at what the cruise industry is putting forward it is very robust," he said.
Mr Kollaras said with international borders closed it was a good time to consider reintroducing cruising for the domestic market only.
He said there are other businesses in Australia that totally rely on the cruise ship industry that were in a much worse position than Kollaras because they have had no business at all since March.
And they desperately need some certainty about what the future is likely to hold.
"It is definitely hurting a lot of people," he said.
"It is hard to tell people what is happening when you don't know what is happening and there is no indication of when cruising is going to come back."
In Kollaras's case there were multiple parts of the business affected by COVID-19.
When it realised things weren't going to change quickly for the industry the Kollaras Group did offer some redundancies and stood other people down so when demand eventually returns they can come back to work.
Mr Kollaras hopes 2021 starts far more positively for the cruise industry and the family run business can celebrate a belated 60th birthday with as many staff as possible.
He said the operations team in the warehouse and distribution side of the business was most affected because that area was the most demand driven.
CLIA Australasia Managing Director Joel Katz said cruise lines had committed to extensive new health measures to support future operations, and that it was now vital to plan for a phased and carefully controlled resumption of local cruising.
"Cruising ordinarily contributes more than $5 billion a year to the Australian economy, but thousands of jobs are now at risk while cruise ships aren't operating," Mr Katz said.
"While the suspension of cruising has been the right response to COVID-19, it's important that we plan a pathway towards resumption with extensive health measures in place, so that we can restore economic opportunities to regional areas and other communities around our coast."
The new CLIA video series is being run as a campaign on social media to raise awareness and tell the personal stories of people within the Australasian cruise community.
"Australia's success in stemming the transmission of COVID-19 means we have an opportunity for a controlled reintroduction of domestic cruises - restricted to Australian residents only and with extensive testing and screening measures in place," Mr Katz said.
"The health measures cruise lines have committed to globally means we should open a pathway towards resumption so that thousands of Australian businesses like John's can begin planning for their revival."
The extensive new health measures have been developed with the help of international medical experts laying the foundation for a carefully controlled resumption of local cruise ship operations.
And are part of a process to create mandatory worldwide policies for all Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) ocean-going cruise ships which have been outlined to Australian government agencies in detail as the cruise industry responds to COVID-19 and plans a pathway towards revival.
Mr Katz said the cruise industry was calling on the Australian Government to replace the current ban on cruising, which expires 17 December, with a conditional process that would allow cruise lines to progress towards approval for a carefully managed resumption in 2021.
"This would initially involve restricted local cruises for local residents only, with limited passenger numbers, 100 per cent testing of guests and crew, and extensive screening and sanitation protocols in place."
Under proposals presented to government by CLIA and cruise lines, cruises would initially operate within state or national borders while travel restrictions are in place. This would offer protective protocols against outside infection while at the same time allowing a revival of the economic benefits of cruise tourism in Australia.
"Working with governments and health authorities, cruising can progress a responsible restart domestically within Australia, using ships and crew that have gone through all required quarantine procedures," Mr Katz said.
"Ships and crew would then remain within the Australian safe-zone or bubble, offering cruising to locals within Australia until international borders reopen."
While cruise operations have been suspended, cruise lines themselves have used this time to develop extensive new health measures in response to COVID-19, to uphold the safety of guests, crew and the communities that cruise ships visit.
This process is being guided by eminent medical and scientific experts internationally and locally and forms the basis of an industry-wide policy covering almost every aspect of a cruise ship's operations, including the specific screening, sanitisation and medical protocols that will operate in response to COVID-19.
The work has already supported initial resumptions in several jurisdictions around the world.
Layered cruise industry return strategy for Australia;
- Key to the cruise industry's plan for resumption of cruising in Australia is a layered prevention, mitigation and response strategy, which aims to go far beyond the COVID-19 responses of other areas of the travel industry.
- The plan presented to government is extensive and meets or exceeds the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia (CDNA) guidelines. Examples of measures presented within the strategy include:
- Plans to quarantine ships and crew on return to Australia, and for ongoing crew movements, without putting additional burden on existing hotel quarantine systems.
- 100 per cent pre-boarding health screening and COVID-19 testing for all passengers and crew, with a negative test required for boarding.
- Passenger health declarations for illnesses and contact history screening.
- Passenger communication from time of booking, outlining screening requirements, safety precautions, reporting responsibilities, and how to comply with sanitation and prevention protocols.
- No boarding for anyone subject to any COVID-19 exposure restrictions or who has recently arrived in Australia.
- Daily health monitoring and daily temperature checks on board.
- Limited passenger numbers and capacity management controls that take into account the size, layout, and design of each ship.
- Onboard venue restrictions, to comply with current social distancing guidance (use of masks as required).
- Flow and directional controls for movement of passengers in high traffic areas.
- Hand and respiratory hygiene protocols, including hand-washing and sanitisation stations.
- Designated crew to serve passengers in buffets (no self-service).
- Compulsory crew training for COVID-19 safety and for all duties that relate to enhanced health and safety protocols.
- Daily health screening and temperature checks for all crew, in addition to regular COVID-19 testing.
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols that meet and exceed all national and state standards for equivalent venues onshore.
- Ventilation strategies to increase fresh air and, where feasible, using enhanced filters and other technologies to maximize system effectiveness.
- Staggered embarkation and disembarkation processes to reduce crowding and to facilitate physical distancing.
- Distancing and hygiene protocols within cruise terminals to match those onboard.
- Risk assessments for port visits and shoreside activities to ensure appropriate shoreside systems.
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Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
