ATIA has welcomed the Government’s decision to extend the exemption that allows travel businesses to sell travel insurance at the time of booking, following a sustained advocacy campaign.
The exemption, first secured by the Australian Travel Industry Association in 2021, was due to expire on 5 October 2026. The Government registered regulations extending it to 5 October 2031 on 16 September 2026, delivering a decade of continuous certainty for the industry.
ATIA has argued consistently, including in a comprehensive submission in February this year, that travel insurance belongs at the time of booking. That is when travellers understand their destination, their itinerary and their activities.
“This is what advocacy looks like,” ATIA CEO Dean Long said. “We have put forward a strong, evidence-based case to Government, and Government has acted with a commonsense response.
“Booking is when travellers understand their destination, their itinerary and their risk. That is when the insurance conversation should happen, and this extension keeps it there.”
This extension delivers five more years of certainty for members and for travellers.
“This decision brings important certainty for our members, particularly for the small and medium operators who carry the most risk when settings like this are left unclear,” Long said.
“ATIA-accredited businesses do not just sell a policy. They match cover to the trip to support travellers, and that is worth protecting.”
In addition to booking insurance, ATIA-accredited travel agents and tour operators often cover to the traveller’s actual circumstances, whether it’s cruising, snow sports, adventure travel or a complex international itinerary – that’s something a generic policy bought online cannot do.
About 85 per cent of Australians say they are more likely to book with an ATIA-accredited business, a reflection of the trust that expertise builds.
Without the extension, the consequences would be significant, ATIA said with more Australians exposed to major medical and cancellation costs, increased pressure on consular services, and reduced certainty for small and medium travel businesses.
Every policy already carries a 14-day cooling-off period and strict Design and Distribution Obligations, protections that address the very risks a deferral period is meant to guard against.
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