Applications for Round Two expected to open in late April.
Tourism Minister Dan Tehan has this afternoon unveiled more details on the highly anticipated second round of the COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program, which will “open later this month to provide further support for eligible travel agents, inbound tour operators and tour wholesalers”.
The minimum payment under the $130 million second round will be $7,500 – rising to a maximum of $100,000 – with the simplified program having just nine tiers, rather than the 41 in Round One. Payment tiers are as follows:
| Turnover in calendar year 2019 is between | Grant amount | |
| $ 50,000 | $ 99,999 | $ 7,500 |
| $ 100,000 | $ 199,999 | $ 15,000 |
| $ 200,000 | $ 299,999 | $ 25,000 |
| $ 300,000 | $ 399,999 | $ 37,500 |
| $ 400,000 | $ 499,999 | $ 45,000 |
| $ 500,000 | $ 999,999 | $ 50,000 |
| $ 1,000,000 | $ 1,999,999 | $ 62,500 |
| $ 2,000,000 | $ 2,999,999 | $ 75,000 |
| $ 3,000,000 | $ 20,000,000 | $ 100,000 |
In order to qualify, businesses must have been in operation prior to the announcement of the closure of international borders, must be continuing to operate, and have been in receipt of the JobKeeper extension between 28 September 2020 and 28 March 2021.
Turnover for qualifying businesses must be between $50,000 and $20 million (or between $500,000 and $200 million in TTV) for the 2019 calendar year, and businesses must have also qualified for and received a payment under Round One of the Program.
Applicants for the second round must also sign a declaration that their business is solvent as at the opening date of Round Two of the program, confirming that they intend to continue to operate their business throughout the June quarter of 2021, and will make “best endeavours” to retain staff.
“Consideration is also being given to the circumstances of mid-sized agents who operate multiple outlets under a single ABN,” an update from Austrade advised.
In addition, “to ensure equity, businesses found to have received a payment based on TTV in Round One that was greater than they would otherwise have received if the payments for Round One and Two were calculated on turnover, will not be eligible for a Round Two payment,” Tehan’s statement noted.
AFTA welcomed the update and thanked Dan Tehan and the Federal Government for their ongoing support, having been heavily involved alongside CATO and ATEC in helping shape the second round of the program.
AFTA Chair Tom Manwaring said the organisation was very grateful for the level of engagement from the Minister and “his commitment to making sure these desperately needed funds get to travel agents and businesses that so badly need support to get through this”.
More details on the second round have progressively been added to the Austrade website over the course of today at https://www.austrade.gov.au/australian/tourism/tourism-and-business/grants/covid-19-consumer-travel-support-program while a fact sheet with information on the new tiers is available by CLICKING HERE.
Full reports in tomorrow’s issue of Travel Daily.