Australia’s tourism industry gets AUD76 million aid package
Australia’s under pressure tourism industry is to get a A$76 million (US$52 million) shot in the arm.
Images beamed around the world of blackened forests and dead wildlife hit the industry hard with forward bookings from international markets down by up to 40%.
The domestic market has fared even worse with bookings down 70%.
Financial damage to the industry is put at A$1 billion and may swell to A$4.5 billion by the end of the year, according to the Australian Tourism Export Council.
"International visitors are especially critical in places like Kangaroo Island or tropical North Queensland. These are destinations that rely upon international tourists and that’s why we have got to recover those markets as quickly as we can," said tourism minister Simon Birmingham.
Birmingham said the money is an ‘initial’ stimulus package and ‘may need to be additional support and funding as we work through this recovery.’
There will be A$20 million spent on a new ad campaign tagrgeting key overseas markets and funding for the international media hosting program.
The industry generates about 3% of annual economic output.
"Our federal response to these devastating bushfires is comprehensive and unprecedented," said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Heavy rains in Eastern Australia offered some relief from the fires but also brought flash flooding which has closed some roads.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
AirlineRatings reveals world's safest airline rankings for 2026
Vietnam warns airlines of possible flight reductions amid jet fuel shortages
Fliggy opens AI-powered travel bookings and developer tools