The Australian Government has lowered its travel advice for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from Level 4 “Do Not Travel” to Level 3 “Reconsider your need to travel.” ATIA is calling it a win for Australian travellers.
The change matters most for Australians travelling through Middle Eastern hubs to reach Europe, the United Kingdom, India, and Africa. More than 150,000 Australians have transited through the region in the past six weeks alone.
Throughout this period, ATIA has worked constructively with the Australian Government, DFAT, and Smartraveller to ensure travel advice reflects both the risks on the ground and the practical realities facing Australian travellers, particularly those transiting. That work will continue.
The Level 4 advisory created real complications and confusion for travellers with brief airside transits, especially around insurance cover. Today’s downgrade removes that.
Level 3 remains a high threshold and the Government’s advice is that non-essential travel should be avoided. Travellers should check Smartraveller.gov.au before booking and before departing, and confirm their travel insurance covers their specific routing. DFAT continues to advise “Do Not Travel” to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen. Some areas within Israel also remain “Do Not Travel.”
If you’ve had travel plans on hold or were avoiding routing through the Gulf, ATIA recommends speaking with an ATIA-accredited travel agent or tour operator before booking. They’re across exactly what the advisory change means, what’s covered by your insurance policy, and how to structure your booking for the best protection. A directory of ATIA-accredited travel agents and tour operators is available at traveltick.com.au.
QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO ATIA CEO DEAN LONG
“This is a sensible and welcome adjustment, and one ATIA has been seeking for some time. For many Australians, these hubs are the connecting points that get them to the UK, Europe, India and Africa. In seeking a travel advisory level commensurate with the reality of travel as a transiting passenger, ATIA was looking to ensure transiting passengers had all the benefits of travel insurance while on the ground.”
“Additionally, with 150,000 Australians having safely travelled through those hubs, we wanted to ensure consumer confidence in Smartraveller’s advice remains optimum – travellers were telling our members that the “do not travel” advice for passing through just didn’t seem to hit the right balance.”
“Smartraveller is a vital resource and it is important that the advice it carries remains proportionate and current. The Smartraveller program was not designed for a limited conflict at key international hubs. We acknowledge that these decisions are always difficult to get right. Today’s decision strikes the right balance between the security advice and ensuring travellers can have sufficient and comprehensive insurance protection as they travel through.”
“The best thing any traveller can do right now is speak with an ATIA Accredited travel agent or tour operator before they book. They will make sure your routing, your cover, and your documentation are right before you reach the airport.”
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ABOUT ATIA
The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) is the peak body representing Australia’s $70.6 billion travel industry. ATIA represents the majority of Australian travel agents, corporate agents, tour operators, wholesalers, and ITOs.
In the 2025/2026 financial year, ATIA members transacted $26.9 billion in Total Transaction Value (TTV) of retail bookings, $6.5 billion of corporate bookings, and $7.5 billion of land operations. Typically, the vast majority of all international air sales and over 90% of corporate sales in Australia are through our members, rather than directly through airlines. Furthermore, out of the 1.45 million Australians who took an ocean cruise this year, the significant majority used a travel advisor to book. An impressive 92% of ATIA members are small businesses, with women making up 72% of the sector’s dynamic workforce.
ATIA administers the ATIA Accredited programme, which remains the largest and most representative accreditation scheme for travel businesses across Australia. 22% of businesses that submitted applications to become ATIA accredited were rejected as they did not meet the eligibility criteria. ATIA proudly represents 19,167 agency employees and 13,799 land supply employees nationwide, directly supporting 21.96 million Australian travellers every single year. There are 1100 ATIA-accredited members across 1700 locations. To find or verify an ATIA accredited business, visit traveltick.com.au.
