The Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) welcomes today's announcement of $5 million by the State Government for Victoria to be promoted across Australia and in key international source markets beyond China, as a result of the devastating Coronavirus and bushfire crises.
VTIC Chief Executive Felicia Mariani commended the Government on this much needed response to what has been a shocking time for the state's visitor economy.
"From all the work we've done with the industry, we know that operators across Victoria are reeling from the effects of the double-whammy of the bushfire crisis, followed quickly by Coronavirus.
"With dramatically reduced revenues, businesses have reported that they have no choice but to cut staff and hours in an effort to contain costs. They are desperate for marketing support to assist in rebuilding their businesses as quickly as possible.
"This disaster has highlighted Victoria's over-reliance on China as a primary driver for visitation and spend. The $5 million being allocated to Visit Victoria to market across Australia and in alternate regions like Vietnam, India, New Zealand, the United States and Europe, is exactly what's needed at this point in time," Ms Mariani said.
Over the past five weeks throughout the bushfire and Coronavirus crises, VTIC has advocated strongly at both State and Federal levels to ensure that industry priorities were taken into account as recovery packages were being considered.
"This funding allocation will put Victoria at the forefront of consideration for international travellers looking to visit Australia. This spend, in conjunction with the aggressive domestic marketing campaigns currently underway, delivers a sense of hope and direction for a road to recovery," Ms Mariani concluded.
