AusLeisure

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has today announced $60 million in new funding to attract international visitors to regions hardest hit by international border closures, destination marketing organisation Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) allocated $15 million of the monies.

Making the announcement in Cairns, Prime Minister Morrison described Australia as still being a world-leading tourist destination because of its unique attractions, high-quality tourism operators, and lifestyle.

However, noting how the pandemic has devastated businesses, with the industry looking at a long road to recovery, he advised “our Government is backing Australia’s tourism industry with a $60 million plan to bring back international visitors, especially to the regions that have been hardest hit.

“As the world reopens, and travellers get out and see the world again, we want to ensure that at the top of every must-see-list is Australia.

“I have been listening to tourism industry operators about what they will need to rebuild their international tourist businesses and this funding boost will deliver on these needs. The package is about getting people on planes and getting them here. It’s about converting the strong interest in Australia to actual businesses.

“The return of our international tourism market will support hundreds of thousands of tourism jobs, strengthen our economy, and back our world-class tourism operators and the many regions reliant on international visitors, like tropical North Queensland.”

The funding is as follow:

• $15 million for Tourism Tropical North Queensland to get tourists back to North Queensland and to promote the Great Barrier Reef.
• $45 million for Tourism Australia to undertake additional targeted activities to get international tourists back in to key regional destinations heavily impacted by the loss of international tourism, of which:
  • $15 million for advertising in crucial international markets to support regions most reliant on international tourists;
  • $25 million for direct partnership activities for Tourism Australia to work with trade wholesalers, the airlines and the media to drive international demand back to key regions; and
  • $5 million to extend Business Events Australia’s highly successful bid fund - which has already helped win 57 events for Australia.

The new funding is in addition to more than $20 billion in assistance to the tourism and hospitality sector allocated since March 2020, through JobKeeper, the Cash Flow Boost, and targeted sectoral programs including the Consumer Travel Support Program, Zoos and Aquariums, Business Events Grants, Recovery for Regional Tourism and Tourism Aviation Network Support.

TTNQ has welcomed Prime Minister Morrison’s announcement, with Chair Ken Chapman advising “Mr Morrison understands the unique impact of border closures for this region. He listened to TTNQ’s recovery proposals, understood the issues, and had the confidence to back us to get the job done with this support.

“We must also acknowledge Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch for his very strong backing for this funding and indeed for his tireless advocacy for the tourism industry in this region throughout the pandemic.

“His efforts have helped save businesses and jobs and will now contribute to rebuilding the regional tourism industry back to the $4 billion per annum powerhouse that it was becoming before COVID-19.”

TTNQ Chief Executive Mark Olsen said the $60 million boost announced by the Prime Minister, with $15 million dedicated to TTNQ was welcomed by the industry in readiness for the return of international markets and the funding would enable a more rapid re-entry into key markets.

Olsen added “with $5.3 billion tourism dollars stripped from Tropical North Queensland’s economy over the past two years, our international tourism businesses need support to enable our industry to head back into our key international markets to drive more visitors to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.

“Tropical North Queensland is the nation’s most tourism dependant region and this funding will ensure our tourism industry continues to deliver not just as a regional economy, but as a world-class Australian destination.”

Images: Heron Island on the Barrier Reef (top), Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (middle) and the Cairns Lagoon (below).

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