Australians will be able to buy affordable flights to twelve local holiday destinations under a new tourism promotion program, the government said.
List of sponsored areas include Gold Coast, Cairns, Whitsundays, Alice Springs and Broome.
$1.2 Bn Tourism Scheme
The government has said the A $ 1.2bn (£ 670m; $ 930m) plan aims to revitalize the local tourism sector amid the pandemic.
The industry has been hit hard by the closure of borders and travel restrictions since the beginning of last year.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a package of 800,000 cheap flights – to be distributed between April and July – would encourage locals to visit other parts of the country.
The government’s “JobKeeper” wage program will expire by the end of March, but the tourism industry – which often relies on foreign tourists – still needs support, Mr Morrison said.
Discounted Destinations
“To keep people at work, we have to put planes in the air, and we have to put guests down,” he told reporters at Sydney Airport on Thursday.
But the Labor opposition has argued the package is “selective” and mainly benefits airlines, pointing out there is no direct funding for tourism and hotel operators.
- Queensland: The Gold Coast, Cairns, the Whitsundays and Mackay region including Proserpine and Hamilton Island, and the Sunshine Coast
- Northern Territory: Lasseter and Alice Springs
- Tasmania: Launceston, Devonport and Burnie
- Western Australia: Broome
- Victoria: Avalon
- New South Wales: Merimbula
- South Australia: Kangaroo Island
Vaccine Roll Out
Australia began its vaccination campaign last month and reported cases found nowhere else in the country two weeks ago.
For a year now, the nation has closed its borders on foreign travel to prevent returnees and other cases from being released.
Since the pandemic began, Australia has reported about 29,000 cases and 909 deaths – numbers far lower than many other nations.
Despite this success, many Australians have been reticent to make travel plans beyond their home state because of uncertainty over border closures.
Small outbreaks have often led to restrictions on movement, leaving people stranded or with interstate holidays cancelled.
Airlines and travel representatives have largely welcomed the new subsidy scheme.
However some have questioned the destinations chosen, given some are already big tourism drawcards.
Labor has also noted the majority of them lie in seats with many swinging voters. Australia could see a general election called as early as this year.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese argued it was typical of the Australian government to focus on the “electoral map” rather than “which areas needs support most”.
Others online criticised the government for funding local holidays while tens and thousands of Australians remain stranded overseas.
