Tourism Minister urges more agents to apply for emergency support.
Tourism Minister Dan Tehan has today released a progress report into the Government’s $128 million COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support program, with more than 800 agents having already received payments totalling over $33 million since the program opened in early December.
A further 1,500 applications are currently being processed, with Tehan urging more industry operators to take part. “Our Government is supporting travel agents as they deal with the extraordinary challenge of COVID-19,” he said.
“I encourage all travel agents who haven’t applied yet to go online and start an application. There are more than 2,500 small businesses with turnover below $500,000 who are eligible, but many may not yet have applied,” Tehan added.
The Minister noted that the scheme had been “designed in consultation with the Australian Federation of Travel Agents, and complements around $700 million in support already provided through measures like JobKeeper, PAYG cashflow boosts and loss carry back provisions”.
“I also encourage all Australians to support the local tourism industry by booking a domestic holiday this year. All levels of government and industry are working together, to provide national policy certainty so Australians have the confidence to make holiday plans,” Tehan concluded.
The report details the number of recipients for each payment tier. As at 20 January 2021 a total of 168 applicants had received the maximum $100,000 payout under the program, a combined $16.8 million comprising more than half of the payments so far. At the other end of the scale 95 agencies had received $1,500; 82 grants of $4,000 had been distributed; 65 worth $6,500; 36 worth $9,000 and then smaller numbers for each tier through to the $100,000 maximum.
More details in Travel Daily next week.