Austrade announces Round Two application details.
Applications for Round Two of the COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program will open this coming Sunday 02 May, with Austrade having just released final details of the claiming process and eligibility criteria.
Travel agents, inbound tour operators and tour wholesalers who have been severely impacted by COVID-19 can submit their applications until 11.59pm AEST on 12 June 2021, and businesses must have received payments under Round One to be eligible for Round Two unless an exceptional circumstance decision applies.
Round Two applicants must sign an electronic declaration that they have been eligible for and received a Round One payment; that their Round One turnover figure was not based on TTV; that their business is solvent and intends to continue operating for the April to June 2021 quarter; and that they will make their best endeavours to retain staff and meet obligations to process refunds and travel credits to Australian consumers.
For businesses which declared a G1 figure of $500,000 or more “an additional financial verification by Austrade will confirm that TTV was not the basis for your Round One payment”.
“Businesses found to have received a payment based on TTV in Round One that was less then they would otherwise have received if the payments for Round One and Two were calculated on turnover, will be able to lodge an execptional circumstances claim for the difference,” the Austrade website advises.
The Austrade site also says that Round Two is now open, but the Services Australia portal allowing lodgement via the PRODA platform is currently not available, while the Frequently Asked Questions document relating to the program states that Sunday is when applications will be able to be lodged.
The newly released FAQ document relating to Round Two of the program is now available at austrade.gov.au.
More details in Monday’s issue of Travel Daily.