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States launch new round of vouchers for travel, dining, and experiences
A new round of vouchers valued up to $300 will now be available to millions of Australians to get out and experience post-lockdown life.
Local governments in NSW, Queensland, and Tasmania have implemented schemes for residents to boost domestic travel, tourism, and restaurants.
Dine and Discover
The NSW government rekindled its popular travel voucher called Dine and Discover. The voucher scheme now offers two more vouchers — valued at $25 each — to residents. Dine and Discover vouchers can be spent on leisure activities such as eating out, recreation, and entertainment.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the additional vouchers would be made available in the Service NSW app before summer.
“When these extra vouchers come in, in December, please go out and spend them,” the Premier said.
“Support your local businesses that have been doing it tough. It’s been a difficult time, but there’s a bright future here in our state.
“I want people to go out, like many, many have, to support local businesses.”
With a total of $150 for each resident awarded since the scheme was introduced last year, Dine and Discover’s latest expansion has cost the NSW government an additional $250 million.
The popular voucher scheme has been extended twice since its implementation after millions of vouchers went unclaimed and Sydney plummeted to a snap lockdown in June. Dine and Discover vouchers will be made available to residents until June 2022.
Available to NSW residents until June 2022, Dine and Discover’s expansion aims to push residents to go out and spend money at local businesses, Credit: ABC News.
More spending for NSW
The NSW Premier also revealed the state government’s initiative for alfresco dining as part of the $66 million project called “Alfresco Restart Initiative”.
Similar to last summer where establishments were allowed to take up street space to allow guests to sit outdoors, the Alfresco Restart Initiative aims to make alfresco dining a permanent business practice.
The NSW government will offer up to $500,000 worth of grants to councils across the state for high streets and amenities improvement. Additionally, $5,000 grants will be available to 5000 businesses on a ““first-in, first-served basis for alfresco expansion to their car parks and gardens” —
“We want to make sure that every single neighbourhood can flourish and have activity and action right through the summer months and beyond,” Mr. Perrottet said.
“These grants will help them with that as well.”
The NSW government will provide grants to councils and businesses to improve amenities for alfresco dining in the state. Souce: Sydney.com
Queensland Getaway
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introduced the Great Queensland Getaway campaign on Thursday morning.
The campaign, which will launch on October 18, offers discount codes for up to 50 percent off tourism activities — a maximum of $100 in the southeast, central, and western Queensland, or $200 in North Queensland.
"This is an important part of our COVID-19 economic recovery plan which will entice thousands of Queenslanders to get out and explore their own state," the premier said.
The vouchers will be available at queensland.com.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a new Great Queensland Getaway campaign on Thursday morning. Credit: NCA Newswire/Dan Peled
Tassie Holiday
The Tasmanian government introduced the new Tassie Holiday Voucher program.
In partnership with state and federal governments — specifically Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia — the program aims to boost tourism in the Apple Isle by providing residents access to $300 vouchers towards their visit to the island. Recipients will receive $200 foraccommodation, and $100 for attractions or tours.
Up to 10,000 vouchers will be available for successful recipients. The vouchers will be issued via a ballot and the redemption of voucher discounts will be done through a Tassie Holiday Voucher online marketplace.
“We know that visitors from Victoria and NSW traditionally make up 70 per cent of total interstate visitation to Tasmania, and the ongoing border restrictions with these markets have significantly impacted our visitor economy,” Tourism Minister Sarah Courtney said.
“This program is expected to stimulate travel from interstate markets that currently have open borders with Tasmania, providing vital economic support for our accommodation, tours, and attractions sector.”
How about you? Where in Australia do you want to travel to this year and will these voucher schemes change your travel plans?
