It seems that the tourism industry needs us to go on as many holidays as possible this year, and we’re happy to oblige. First, it was the South Australian Government that was giving away $150 vouchers to spend in the state, and more recently, the Victorian Government gave away a bunch of $200 travel vouchers.
Now, the Queensland Government has announced that it’s offering $200 vouchers for Queenslanders to spend on tropical travel activities anywhere in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef region.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that 15,000 vouchers are available from the start of this week, hoping to help the stunning region’s tourism recover.
“Tourism has taken a hit during the pandemic, and those who depend on international visitors have been doing it particularly tough – especially up north,” she said.
“The voucher will give successful recipients a 50% discount on eligible tourism attractions, up to the value of $200.”
Each voucher includes a 50% discount offering on selected tours and attractions (that have opted to participate) around Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, up to the value of $200. If you select carefully, you could score a whole weekend’s worth of activities!
The vouchers can be used between March 15 and June 25 this year.
Queensland’s tourism industry has taken a huge hit, with the Great Barrier Reef being one of the top five places to visit in Australia, but not allowing in any international tourists last year. In 2020, North Queensland tourism operators estimated that the industry would face a massive $2.2 million loss.
With JobKeeper set to end at the close of April, Ms Palaszczuk hopes that this travel initiative will keep the tourism operators in jobs and the region slowly but steadily returning to its former destination status; and being rightfully appreciated and celebrated by locals.
Not only does this holiday opportunity sound like the most wonderfully relaxing thing you could do after a rocky start to the year, you can also feel good about doing your bit to help the tourism industry, on a budget.
To register, visit the Queensland website here.
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