THE Victorian Opposition is calling for a dedicated $200 million Regional Tourism Fund to be immediately established by the State Government to support country communities and bring visitors back to regional Victoria.
The call is part of a plan, expected to be announced on Wednesday morning, to get Victorians back to work and back in business.
Victorian Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said travel bans put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 meant visitation to country Victoria was smashed overnight.
Mildura has been particularly hard hit given its peak Easter period was shutdown due to the state’s lockdown.
The Opposition said regional communities had been hit hard by drought, bushfire and now the coronavirus pandemic.
“If we do not take bold steps now to restore Victoria’s tourism sector, our regional tourism businesses – which employ an estimated 86,000 Victorians – will never recover,” Mr Walsh said.
With an aim to return the tourism sector to June 2019 bed night accommodation levels by June 2021, the Opposition said the Regional Tourism Fund should provide targeted support to tourism in different regions to: assist operators to get back on their feet, promote Victorian tourism destinations and upgrade tourism related infrastructure.
“Last year the Andrews Government spent more than $100 million on self-promotional advertising,
such as its multi-million dollar ‘Big Build’ campaign,” Mr Walsh said.
“All Andrews Government self-promotional advertising must be immediately scrapped and redirected into promoting regional Victorian tourism.
Opposition leader Michael O’Brien said with restrictions being eased, now was the time to take bold action to restore confidence and jobs to our regional economies.
Mr Walsh agreed. “Tens-of-thousands of regional Victorians who rely on their jobs in the tourism sector to pay the bills and put food on the table are counting on the Andrews Government to get them back to work and back in business,” he said.
