All adults in New South Wales will be provided with a voucher to the value of AUD$50 to spend on a stay at a registered hotel as part of an AUD$530 million package designed to revitalise the state’s tourism industry.
Revealed today by NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, the ‘Stay and Rediscover’ vouchers can be redeemed towards a stay of greater value at any hotel operating in the state.
Part of the state’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Strategy, the accommodation vouchers are a revised and expanded version of a similar plan announced earlier this year prior to the COVID wave which engulfed much of Australia’s city and metropolitan regions for most of the second half of the year. Premier Perrottet said the package would bring back tourists and supercharge the tourism industry.
“Millions of people around the world dream of visiting Sydney and our regional areas. This package not only ensures they can, but that they’ll experience the very best of what we have to offer,” the Premier said.
“It’s also great news for people right across our state, reviving events and businesses and bringing our major drawcards back to life.
“Importantly, more than 300,000 people rely on our tourism industry and our aim is to reclaim our position as one of the world’s favourite destinations,” Perrottet said.
The announcement builds on the announcement last week whereby all fully vaccinated visitors into NSW will no longer need to quarantine on arrival, either at home or in a hotel from 1 November.
Further elements of the funding package announced today include AUD$150 million to support the revival of major events across the state, including AUD$50 million for regional events including agriculture shows, local fairs, festivals and other community events. An additional AUD$6 million will be spent bringing major events back to the Sydney CBD to stimulate spending across hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, transport operators and attractions.
An Event Saver Fund will also be set up to offer financial protection to event organisers forced to cancel or postpone due to any public health order imposed by the government during the 2021-22 summer.
The state will also spend AUD$60 million incentivising international airlines to resume flights to Sydney with the package also including spending on relaunching festivals and promoting the state to key markets around Australia while international borders remain closed.
NSW Minister for Tourism, Stuart Ayres, said businesses in hibernation and tourism operators would be the big winners from the stimulus package.
“This was a one in one-hundred-year event which severely damaged our tourism industry. Operators barely hung in there as they lost bookings, customers and staff, now as we rebuild, we can do so with confidence,” Ayres said.
“For our visitor economy to reach its full potential we need event owners to dream big, airlines to fly in and for locals and visitors to embrace our world class venues and hospitality with enthusiasm once again.”