New platform to assist tourism operators avoid COVID-19 cancellations

As tourism operators Australia wide grapple with the latest round of COVID-19 lockdowns a new platform aims to help travellers better identify risks and restrictions and prevent costly cancellations.

goPassport’s Know Not No (KNN) platform provides the most up-to-date information on the COVID-19 situation and restrictions Australia-wide and with countries with whom it has travel bubbles, such as New Zealand.

Led by infectious diseases and border control experts, by clicking on an interactive map, KNN users can see precisely the COVID-19 situation in their LGA and restrictions in the LGA they intend to travel, ensuring informed decisions about visiting.

KNN Chief Executive, Matt McKinley stated “as we have seen through recent snap lockdowns COVID-19 can rapidly disrupt plans and gone are the days of just freely travelling.

“A state, territory or LGA can appear safe to travel at one moment before dealing with a potential cluster the next.”

Advising that a link to the KNN website from a tourism operator’s booking sites, along with a link in reservation emails could assist in helping travellers feel more confident and help reduce costly cancellations, McKinley noted “the idea of losing money through cancellations and non-refundable travel services due to changes stops people in their planning.

“The anxiety of their family being thrown into a quarantine hotel for 14 days is genuine for people.”

McKinley went on to advise that travellers are often confused by media messaging and unsure of which resource will provide the most accurate and updated information on lockdowns and restrictions.

He noted “coupled with the delay in the actual change appearing on the Government Health website has created a significant lack of confidence for travellers daring to leave home and travel into another state.”

With tourism has been a growing and crucial part of the Australian economy over many years, reluctance to travel is having a devastating and long-lasting impact on tourism operators across the country.

While yet to release its latest figures, Austrade reported that within months of the first COVID-19 cases in Australia, the industry slumped, with tourism Gross Domestic Product (GDP) falling to $50 billion, down 0.6% points.

Based on the patented goPassport principles of capturing the pathway, guiding, monitoring, and alerting for each traveller, KNN is set to build confidence in travel as travel restrictions continue to impact the future of living with Covid-19.

Tourism operators are being urged to test the KNN platform and to embed a link to KNN into their booking systems.

The user-pay solution costs travellers $7.99 for to receive alerts by entering their details and travel plans.

goPassport is an Australian technology company that has developed an end-to-end real-time risk management platform to enable safe domestic and international travel. Led by infectious disease and border control experts, goPassport’s transparent digital platform enables international visitors to complete COVID compliance before starting their journey, keeping any risk offshore while minimising disruption to travel plans.

For more information visit www.knownotno.com