Tourism & Travel Law & Lawyers

Tourism & Travel Law & Lawyers News

News, updates and further information - Tourism & Travel Law & Lawyers

Travel Insurance Tips

Travel insurance covers the policyholder for insurable events that may occur before or during travel, such as trip cancellation/interruption, medical expenses, baggage damage/theft and more.

Regardless of whether you travel overseas regularly, infrequently or on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, travel insurance is very important.

The cost of travel insurance is based on the type of cover requested, the age of the insured, the destination of travel, length of stay and any pre-existing medical conditions. It is important to obtain the right type of travel insurance to suit your individual requirements.

Important points to note when choosing travel insurance:

• Always read the product disclosure statement and ensure that you understand exactly what your travel insurance covers. Travel insurance is not unlimited. It may not cover you for cancellation or change to travel plans.
• Clarify any policy issues directly with the insurer.
• Ensure that medical cover is adequate for possible expenses in the country you are going to visit. In some parts of the world medical costs can be very expensive.
• Ensure you declare any pre-existing medical conditions you may have.
• Generally, cover for luggage and personal belongings is limited and expensive items such as cameras, laptops and/or jewellery may have a per-item limit.

If you need legal advice regarding Tourism and Travel law, then please complete your free legal enquiry form on the right, and we will put you in touch with a Tourism and Travel law lawyer nearest you, who can help you with Tourism and Travel law.

Important information and Australian online resources regarding tourism and travel:

Tourism and travel
Smartraveller

Smartraveller is the Australian Government's travel advisory and consular information service. Smartraveller provides travel advisories by country and general advice for Australian travellers, including information on travel health, travel insurance, travel tips, getting help overseas and children's issues.
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/

Travel tips

Index page for Smartraveller travel tips and information. Includes advice for if you are arrested or gaoled overseas, avoiding trouble with drugs overseas, deaths overseas, dual nationality, living and working overseas, returning to Australia, senior travellers, sexual assault while travelling, tips for travelling parents, voting overseas, what to do when someone is missing overseas and advice for women travellers.
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/tips/index.html

Advice for air travellers

Civil Aviation and Safety Authority guide for aircraft passengers covering issues of passenger safety such as how to pack, what to wear, travelling with children and health issues. Also includes information on dangerous goods and general information on aviation in Australia.
http://www.casa.gov.au/airsafe/index.htm

Advice for travellers - Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS)

The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) enables you to claim a refund, subject to certain conditions, of the goods and services tax (GST) and wine equalisation tax (WET) that you pay on goods you buy in Australia.
http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4646.asp

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service

The principal roles of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service are to facilitate trade and the movement of people across the Australian border while protecting the community and maintaining appropriate compliance with Australian law; to efficiently collect customs revenue; and to administer specific industry assistance schemes and trade measures.
http://www.customs.gov.au/
Consumer information for visitors to Australia6
The Australian Government provides consumer information in a range of languages to help travellers get the most out of their trip to Australia. Includes links to purchasing a holiday package, consumer rights, hiring a motor vehicle and how to lodge a complaint if you believe you have been unfairly treated by a business while in Australia.
http://www.ret.gov.au/tourism/information_for_visitors/ConsumerInformation/Pages/default.aspx

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)7

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for the Australian Government's international relations, trade and development assistance programs through its headquarters in Canberra and Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates throughout the world.
http://www.dfat.gov.au/

Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET)

The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism provides advice and policy support to the Australian Government regarding Australia's resources, energy and tourism sectors. The Department develops and delivers policies to increase Australia's international competitiveness, consistent with the principles of environmental responsibility and sustainable development.
http://www.ret.gov.au/

Exchange rates
Current exchange rates as listed by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
http://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/tables/index.html#exchange_rates

For travellers and visitors
Medicines brought into and taken out of Australia may be subject to respective import and export controls. If you are travelling into or out of Australia it is advisable that you have essential medicines for existing medical conditions.
http://www.tga.gov.au/consumers/travellers.htm

Health Emergency
The Australian Government's Health Emergency website keeps you up-to-date with important information about health emergencies in Australia, and the actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and the community. Guidance provided is based on current information and is subject to change based on ongoing surveillance and risk assessment.
http://www.healthemergency.gov.au/

Register of Australians travelling overseas
All Australians travelling overseas should register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) before travel. Your registration information will help find you in an emergency.

SmartGate
SmartGate gives some travellers arriving into Australia's international airports the option to self-process through passport control. It uses the data in the ePassport and face recognition technology to perform the customs and immigration checks that are usually conducted by a Customs and Border Protection officer. SmartGate can be used by Australian and New Zealand ePassport holders, aged 18 or over. It will be gradually opened to other nationalities that have ePassports.

Theme and Reference Maps
A range of theme and reference maps are available from Geoscience Australia. Some are also available as free resources for download.
http://www.ga.gov.au/topographic-mapping/theme-and-reference-maps.html
Travel Doctor (travellers medical and vaccination centre)15
The Travel Doctor - TMVC provides expert travel health advice, travellers' medical kits, vaccinations and anti-malarials, current health alerts for overseas travel and much more.
http://www.traveldoctor.com.au/

Travel smart - Hints for Australian travellers
Plan your trip using travel smart hints for Australian travellers from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Issued free with your passport and available for download.
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/hints/index.html

TravelSECURE
TravelSECURE website is designed to help domestic and international travellers learn more about the security measures in place at Australian airports and the actions they need to take to comply with these measures.
http://travelsecure.infrastructure.gov.au/

If you need legal advice regarding Tourism and Travel law, then please complete your free legal enquiry form on the right, and we will put you in touch with a Tourism and Travel law lawyer nearest you, who can help you with Tourism and Travel law.

Our free legal enquiry service for Tourism and Travel law extends to all suburbs and locations throughout Australia.

Tourism & Travel Law & Lawyers Updates

Travel advice updates for all countries:

Bahrain

10 Jun 2026 22:00:00 AEST

The situation in the Middle East region remains volatile and there remains a risk of attacks and escalation.

We continue to advise do not travel to Bahrain. Military conflict in the region may cause travel disruptions including airspace closures and flight cancellations. Check the status of any border crossing before you travel by air, land or sea.

Prioritise your safety. Monitor developments closely and follow local authorities’ advice. Civilian infrastructure including hotels, roads, bridges, universities, energy infrastructure, including oil production facilities, water infrastructure and airports may continue to be targeted.

If warned of an imminent attack, move to an enclosed shelter. If these are not available, seek an inner room without windows.

Terrorism is a threat, including in Bahrain. Terrorist attacks could happen at any time or anywhere. Maintain a high level of security awareness. Avoid possible targets including venues that draw in foreigners, tourists or crowds where possible. If there's a security incident, follow the advice of local authorities. There may be increased risk of attacks on Israeli and US interests globally and on Jewish communities (see 'Safety').

We advise:

Do not travel to Bahrain due to the volatile security situation in the region.