Travel agents can now apply for one-off grants of $1,500 to $100,000.
The application portal for the Government’s recently announced $128 million COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program has just gone live, allowing eligible travel agents and tour arrangement service providers to apply for grants under the scheme.
Full criteria and eligibility details of the program are online at grants.gov.au, indicating that the program aims to “assist Australian consumers to receive refunds and credits for travel they were unable to undertake due to the impacts of COVID-19; and to assist travel agents and tour arrangement service providers to continue to trade or to recommence trade, where possible”.
Applicants must provide evidence that they are a travel agent or tour arrangement service provider by holding active registration as at 30 November 2020 with AFTA, ATEC, CATO or any other applicable tourism peak industry body – or have provided ANZSIC code 7220 “Travel Agency and Tour Arrangement Services” as part of their 2018/19 income tax return.
The criteria for eligibility includes having been in business prior to the closure of international borders on 19 March 2020, having lodged a 2019/19 income tax return, an annual GST turnover in the 2019 calendar year of between $50,000 and $20 million and having received a payment for a JobKeeper fortnight ending in October 2020.
Applications are open now and will continue to be accepted until midnight AEDT on 13 March 2021 or until the program funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
The Services Australia Business Hub is now accepting claims, with full details on the process required at servicesaustralia.gov.au.
More details in today’s issue of Travel Daily.