Sydney: Australia is encouraging tourism during the Easter holiday despite the oil crisis. Australia is urging its citizens to maintain their planned Easter weekend travel schedules, even though hundreds of gas stations, particularly in rural areas, experienced fuel shortages on Saturday due to the ongoing impact of the war in Iran on the country's fuel supply.

According to Thai News Agency, Energy Secretary Chris Bowen emphasized in a televised address that Easter is a significant time for faith, belief, and family. He encouraged people to adhere to their plans for traveling with family or relaxing but requested cooperation in refueling only when necessary. Australia, reliant on oil imports for 90 percent of its economy, is facing oil shortages in some areas amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, now entering its sixth week. This situation has prompted some individuals to cancel their weekend travel plans, despite this period typically being one of the busiest times of the year.

Mr. Bowen revealed that the country currently has gasoline reserves for 39 days, diesel reserves for 29 days, and aviation fuel reserves for 30 days. He noted that 312 out of approximately 8,000 gas stations nationwide are severely affected by the lack of diesel fuel, with most of these stations located in rural areas due to longer-than-normal transportation times required to replenish reserves.

In a rare national address earlier this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned that the economic impact of the war in the Middle East would persist for months. He urged citizens to utilize public transportation instead of private cars.