Media release – Peter Gutwein, Premier & Minister for Tourism, 27 August 2020Time to Make Yourself at Home Tasmania

Time to Make Yourself at Home Tasmania

Our priority during COVID-19 has been protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of Tasmanians.

But we know that our tourism and hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit as a result of the necessary restrictions we have had to put in place and we must continue to support the sector over the next few months.

Our new Make Yourself at Home voucher incentive scheme aims to drive intrastate visitation, and to support and encourage Tasmanians to get out and experience their home State.

The $7.5 million initiative will run between 7 September 2020 and 1 December 2020, including during the important school holiday period, and will benefit tourism businesses across the state, with flow on effects to other businesses from people staying in their region, for longer a period of time, and spending more while they’re there.

Through a new online registration system, which will open at 9am on Monday 7th of September Tasmanians can register as a single adult or a couple, or as a family, for accommodation vouchers and/or tourism experience vouchers.

The amount we will reimburse for valid travel activity is as follows:

  • One adult can register for one (1) x $100 accommodation voucher and one $50 experience voucher.
  • A couple can access up to two (2) x $100 accommodation vouchers to use on different nights and two (2) x $50 experience vouchers.
  • Families can register either as a single parent or for two parents and can access up to two (2) $150 accommodation vouchers to use on different nights. As well as one (1) $50 experience voucher for each parent, and a $50 experience voucher is available for each child up to a maximum of three (3) children.

Under the initiative, Tasmanians will pay and undertake their travel activity, and then claim the value of their vouchers using their receipts for eligible accommodation or an eligible experience.

We know 2020 has been a year like no other and we will continue to provide as much support as we can to support our local economy and our local jobs.

I encourage all Tasmanians to get out there, experience what is without doubt the best place in the world, and in doing so, support our regions, our businesses, families and communities.

Registrations will open from 9:00 am on Monday 7 September 2020. For more information go to: www.makeyourselfathome.com.au/voucher.

Media release – Rebecca White MP Labor Leader, 27 August 2020

Travel voucher must benefit all in the visitor economy

Labor Leader Rebecca White has welcomed the announcement of further details about the Make Yourself at Home travel voucher scheme but flagged concerns that some businesses in the visitor economy have been excluded.

“We applaud the intent of the scheme and encourage Tasmanians to get out and explore their own backyard.

“As one of the most important job creating industries in the state, supporting tourism operators who have been struggling with the impacts of the pandemic has never been more important or necessary.

Before COVID more than 13-percent of Tasmanians were directly or indirectly employed in the sector.

“The Australian Tourism Industry Council estimates we’re losing 51 of those jobs every day, with $28 million weekly lost to our state’s gross domestic product.

Tourism businesses suffered a $476 million hit in the two months April-May this year compared to 2019 according to Tourism Research Australia.

The travel voucher scheme to commence from 7 September will be welcome news for some.

But the $7.5 million program can only go a small way to recovering these losses.

“The way the scheme is designed will exclude many in the industry who would have hoped to benefit – cafes, restaurants and events such as comedy shows or theatre productions won’t qualify.

“The omission of these businesses by the government ignores the significant contribution the hospitality sector and creative industries make to the visitor economy.

“We also know from the Northern Territory experience that 26-thousand travel vouchers were snapped up online within 10 hours of launch.

Latest figures from TasCOSS show there are still 28 suburbs and towns across Tasmania where more than 20 percent of homes do not have internet access.

“The risk of people without a computer or reliable internet access missing out needs to be quickly addressed by the government before the scheme launches.

“The government must use the time between now and the program launch to consult with operators and venues to ensure that the eligibility criteria aren’t so narrow that they cause disappointment for businesses and customers alike.”