3 years ago
TOURISM OPERATORS LEFT BEHIND BY SCOTT MORRISON
SENATOR DON FARRELL
The Morrison Government’s focus on announcement over delivery is putting the jobs of tens of thousands of Australian tourism workers at risk.
A new survey of travel agents shows just one in ten businesses will survive beyond April 1 without urgent, targeted support.
At the same time, Far North Queensland tourism operators have told Scott Morrison to “wake up” to the fact that businesses and jobs in tourism won’t survive without assistance beyond the scheduled end of JobKeeper in late March.
After months of travel agents pleading for assistance, the Morrison Government finally announced grants for agents in December.
But, despite detailed feedback from the industry, the grants program has been so poorly designed that it isfailing to deliver support to those it is supposed to help.
It has also been clear for nearly a year that the broader tourism sector is not going to be able to ‘snap back’ like Scott Morrison hopes it will.
Regions such as Far North Queensland, which are particularly popular with international visitors, have been hit hard and need more than one-off grants for a lucky few.
If businesses aren’t given the help they need to get through extended restrictions on travel, there will not be enough operators and workers ready to revive the tourism industry when the impacts of COVID-19 ease.
Labor has repeatedly called on the Government to address these issues, highlighting the huge challenge faced by the tourism sector and the importance of helping operators survive to save jobs and rebuild the industry.
Scott Morrison must wake up and start delivering real support for our nation’s vital tourism industry and the Australians in employs.
A new survey of travel agents shows just one in ten businesses will survive beyond April 1 without urgent, targeted support.
At the same time, Far North Queensland tourism operators have told Scott Morrison to “wake up” to the fact that businesses and jobs in tourism won’t survive without assistance beyond the scheduled end of JobKeeper in late March.
After months of travel agents pleading for assistance, the Morrison Government finally announced grants for agents in December.
But, despite detailed feedback from the industry, the grants program has been so poorly designed that it isfailing to deliver support to those it is supposed to help.
It has also been clear for nearly a year that the broader tourism sector is not going to be able to ‘snap back’ like Scott Morrison hopes it will.
Regions such as Far North Queensland, which are particularly popular with international visitors, have been hit hard and need more than one-off grants for a lucky few.
If businesses aren’t given the help they need to get through extended restrictions on travel, there will not be enough operators and workers ready to revive the tourism industry when the impacts of COVID-19 ease.
Labor has repeatedly called on the Government to address these issues, highlighting the huge challenge faced by the tourism sector and the importance of helping operators survive to save jobs and rebuild the industry.
Scott Morrison must wake up and start delivering real support for our nation’s vital tourism industry and the Australians in employs.