The latest round of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme opened today, with 40,000 travel vouchers for $200 helping boost tourism and support jobs across the state.
The first round of the voucher scheme saw 70,000 vouchers obtained by Victorians planning trips over the Christmas/New Year break, however this round of 40,000 vouchers are redeemable for travel between 27 January and 1 April for the lucky people who managed to obtain them before they were exhausted within minutes.
“Victorians love exploring their own back yard and these vouchers make it easier for families to get out into our beautiful regions and enjoy a well-earned break,” Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said.
“More people travelling in regional Victoria means more money over the counter for businesses that are recovering after a very difficult 2020, and more jobs for local workers.”
Preliminary data from the first round of the program showed the most popular destinations were the Mornington Peninsula, Bass Coast, East Gippsland, the Surf Coast and High Country.
Most people claiming for vouchers have spent around $1,000 on accommodation, tours or attractions on their trip – that’s on top of petrol, food, supplies and other purchases, underlying the significance of the tourism industry to local economies.
The next round of vouchers will be available from 10:00am on 30 March for travel between 6 April and 31 May.
To be eligible you must be a Victorian resident aged 18 or over and spend a minimum $400 on accommodation, experiences or tours in regional Victoria during one of the specified periods.
Vouchers are limited to one per household and travellers are required to spend at least two nights in paid accommodation in regional Victoria to qualify for the scheme.
The Regional Travel Voucher Scheme is part of the $465 million Victorian Tourism Recovery Package, which also provides almost $300 million to improve infrastructure in iconic locations including Gippsland, the Great Ocean Road, Wilsons Promontory and the Grampians and invest in new tourism projects.
For more information on the voucher scheme and to apply, go to vic.gov.au/regional-travel-voucher-scheme.