Recent border closures designed to keep Tasmanians safe have again significantly impacted our tourism and hospitality sectors, especially with visitors from key markets including Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia restricted from travelling to our State.
That’s why the Tasmanian Government will introduce a fresh round of our hugely successful voucher incentive scheme to encourage Tasmanians to support local businesses and experience their home State, during the quieter months.
Our tourism and hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic and we are taking action to support the sector through this difficult time.
We will fund a $7.5 million voucher scheme for Tasmanians enticing them to holiday at home, book into local accommodation, and take part in local experiences right across the state.
The application process for this round of vouchers will be slightly different to the previous rounds, with Tasmanians able to pre-register for a lottery type system. Tasmanians will be able to express their interest the week after next when the scheme is opened, with the vouchers redeemable for travel up until the 24 of September - the start of the school holiday period.
Following more consultation with industry next week, detailed guidelines and entry requirements will be worked through and finalised shortly, including the voucher amounts, but we expect them to be as successful as our last round, providing vital support for the industry at a challenging time.
The hospitality industry will also benefit from Tasmanians travelling around the state, eating out, visiting cafes and local bars.
An estimated $27.5 million in additional spending is estimated to have been generated across the State through last year’s scheme, supporting countless small businesses and families across the State through what was a very difficult time.
With another round of vouchers on offer, I again encourage all Tasmanians to snap them up, get out and about, and experience all our State has to offer while supporting businesses, families, and communities in all areas of Tasmania.
We’ll provide another update to Tasmanians about how to register in the coming week.