Businesses in NSW will welcome back tourists from June 1, but have been warned that despite this being an exciting move, it will also bring cross-border complications.
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The state border has remained open during the coronavirus pandemic to allow travel for essential work and care-giving reasons.
But with Victorians still being told they cannot go on holidays, Murray Regional Tourism chief executive Mark Francis looked for clarification on Wednesday on who would be able to travel for leisure.
He had bad news for Victorians.
"At the moment, no - Victorians can't go and travel and stay in NSW," he said during a Murray Regional Tourism webinar.
"At the moment, the only reason that people can stay in Victoria is for work purposes and care-giving - not for leisure."
"We look forward to when that can occur."
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The organisation was working with businesses north of the border on how they could slowly open up for tourists again.
"We're still waiting for some further clarity around what that might look like, but it's exciting times to start to see the industry move," Mr Francis said.
"At best, even when restrictions are lifted, we're looking at a three to six-month lag from when people will really be comfortable to travel."
Hannah Statham from Media Mortar said the industry had been hoping to avoid a staggered return to tourism between states.
She encouraged businesses to have plans for deep cleaning and social distancing before reopening.
"The government has been quite clear: it is on the business owner to dictate what that looks like in the day to day," she said.
"There is not going to be a tourism police office who comes round and helps every business with how this rolls out."
Ms Statham said she understood some regional areas may see tourists as a health risk, but businesses had "a responsibility to educate the community on what this will look like".
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian used the open state line in the Border region, where people had acted responsibly, as a reason why the same could occur on the NSW-Queensland border.
"Albury-Wodonga still operates as one community venue though there's a state border in between because we know that community has functioned together for decades," she said.
"NSW will welcome visitors from all across the country."