Travellers flying to Australia have been warned about delays at airports across the nation after new restrictions on duty-free tobacco products were introduced at the turn of the month. Long delays have been anticipated at Australian airports since Saturday, when customs officials began enforcing a new limit of two packs of cigarettes per adult (50 cigarettes) or 100g of tobacco. The existing limit was 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco.
Duty-free prices on ciagrettes at this cheap shop online.
Though there haven’t been any flight delays reported, passengers could expect to be delayed if they were carrying more than the new limit of cigarettes or loose tobacco. Anyone carrying more than the limit would have to surrender the excess or pay a federal duty. Officers have been patrolling passenger queues and asking travellers to give up cartons of duty-free cigarettes if they are carrying more than two packs.
The Tourism Transport Forum (TTF) and Australian Airports Association (AAA) requested that the government postpone the implementation of the new limits until March or to exempt non-residents until the millions of visitors were made aware of the changes. The request was ignored. The TTF said that it expects chaos and confusion as a result of increased bag searches for passengers carrying more tobacco products than they are allowed. Chief executive John Lee said the change will mean an unprecedented level of chaos and confusion in airport arrival halls. It will complicate and make the arrival experience frustrating for international visitors.
He anticipates Sydney Airport customs officials to seize about 400,000 cartons of cigarettes before Christmas by themselves. The AAA, which represents airports throughout the country, criticised the introduction of the new allowance last week. It warned the move will only divert customs officers – of which there are few already – from the front line of processing passengers. Delays are already being experienced by passengers as they enter Australia from several international airports. This is because of the customs staff cut implemented last year.
The introduction of this ill-considered duty-free tobacco cut will make the already bad situation worse. On to of this, passengers have been given little to no warning – especially those from China and other Asian tourism markets. AAA chief executive Caroline Wilkie said that they knew there wouldn’t be any advertising about the new restrictions in China until November, and this is one of the biggest tobacco using nations in the world. Additionally, they knew the campaign wouldn’t start overseas until the limits were put into effect, while it wouldn’t be advertised on television, the radio or in newspapers.
Because of this, people will arrive in Australia from other countries unaware of the new rules. Wilkie added that the situation will mean chaos for international arrivals. Duty-free retailers based overseas have warned that they won’t advise visitors to Australia about the changes, as that will result in lost sales. On top of this, there will be more confusion since Australia doesn’t comply with known international standards and conventions. The decision to implement these new restrictions came weeks after the High Court rejected a challenge to the federal government’s laws on plain packaging. This cleared the way for newly designed packets to be sold on store shelves. Now the pack are required to be sold as olive green with graphic health warnings but without trademarks.
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