Tourism businesses and fire-affected communities around the country will receive much-needed support from the Morrison Government’s National Bushfire Recovery Fund through an initial $76 million tourism recovery package to protect jobs, small businesses, and local economies by helping get tourists travelling across Australia again.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government was throwing its support behind the country’s $152 billion tourism industry as part of an initial push to help the sector recover after a devastating blow from unprecedented bushfires.
“Our federal response to these devastating bushfires is comprehensive and unprecedented,” the Prime Minister said.
“More than 6000 defence boots on the ground, more than $50 million in emergency payments already in hand and more to come, $76 million in new mental health support to first responders and local communities, $50 million to support wildlife recovery and habitat restoration, $75,000 grants to our farmers to help them rebuild, and now surging our support for our all-important tourism industry. It’s all part of a clear plan to lead our response to the recovery driven by our National Bushfire Recovery Agency.”
One in thirteen Australian jobs rely on tourism and hospitality so $76 million investment is an urgent injection to help all those hotels, restaurants and cafes and tour operators get back on their feet.
This is about getting more visitors to help keep local businesses alive and protect local jobs right across the country and especially in those areas so directly devastated such as Kangaroo Island and the Adelaide Hills, the Blue Mountains and right along the NSW Coast and East Gippsland in Victoria.
The Government’s initial tourism recovery package responds directly to calls from the tourism sector and includes $20 million for a nationally coordinated domestic marketing initiative and $25 million for a global marketing campaign to drive international visitation.
A further $10 million will be provided for a regional tourism events initiative across bushfire affected areas, $9.5 million for an international media and travel trade hosting initiative, $6.5 million to support tourism business’ attendance at the largest annual tourism trade event, the Australian Tourism Exchange, and $5 million for our diplomatic network to educate that our tourism, international education and export sectors are open for business.
Federal Minister for Tourism Simon Birmingham said the funding boost would help get tourists back into areas that need it most but also make it clear that Australia is very much open for business.
“Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities around Australia and it’s absolutely critical that we help to get people back visiting those communities that rely on tourism,” Minister Birmingham said.
This initiative forms part of the Morrison Government’s initial $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund.
Original source: DFAT
Published on 19 January 2019
