Luxury Escapes offers $200 million incentive for Aussies to get vaccinated against Covid-19

A leading travel company is launching an extraordinary incentive to encourage Australians to vaccinate against Covid-19, putting a share of $200 million up for grabs. Here’s how to be in the running.

ONE of the country’s top travel companies will give away $200 million in holiday vouchers to vaccinated Aussies in a bid to fast-track the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

With vaccination rollouts facing criticism around the country, Melbourne-based Luxury Escapes will give $200 international holiday vouchers to the first 1 million applicants who have had at least one Covid vaccine jab before the end of September.

Luxury Escapes CEO Adam Schwab said he hoped the scheme would encourage more Aussies to get vaccinated and welcomed other companies to introduce similar initiatives, such as the promotions already being used overseas, to speed up vaccination rates.

Federal budget forecasts return of international travel

Qantas eyes sweeteners to help Covid-19 vaccine rates take off

Countries around the world have seen the introduction of a number of incentive schemes to encourage vaccination uptake, ranging from discounted taxes and employee bonuses through to million-dollar lotteries.

Research conducted by Luxury Escapes suggests the ability to travel overseas is the top reason for getting vaccinated for 80 per cent of Aussies while a similar number of respondents (83 per cent) also believed widespread vaccination was the most important step towards the resumption of free travel.

Mr Schwab said he hoped the scheme would lead to a surge in vaccination rates for Australians.

Luxury Escapes CEO Adam Schwab is giving away international holiday vouchers as part of a Covid vaccine incentive. Picture: David Geraghty

“We want to do everything we can to encourage people to get vaccinated,” he said.

“Getting the majority of people vaccinated is a really important thing to do and we want to try to be a leader in this space and hopefully others will follow.

“You could get free Gold Class movie tickets, discounted flights, any number of things so people who might be sitting on the fence can be convinced that now is the time to get vaccinated.”

He also renewed calls for vaccinated Aussies to be exempt from hotel quarantine in the face of future Covid outbreaks.

“We 100 per cent support the idea of vaccinated people being able to travel overseas (or even interstate) without having to quarantine on their return,” he said.

“People aren’t scared of travelling – they’re scared of being caught out by another outbreak that makes them have to do hotel quarantine for two weeks.

“There’s a huge appetite for travel and if people who had received the vaccine were allowed to bypass hotel quarantine that’s going to be a huge incentive for people to start travelling again.

“I’m not a doctor, but the medical advice seems to be that your chances of becoming hospitalised or infectious once receiving the vaccine are so low that in every sense this (exemption from quarantine) makes sense.”

The Centara Grand Phuket is one of many holiday experiences travellers can book to redeem a $200 voucher through Luxury Escapes.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and airline leaders are among those who have already flagged the notion of a “digital passport” where vaccinated travellers could move more freely, while Denmark is one of a number of countries already allowing travellers to bypass some restrictions with proof of inoculation.

Mr Schwab said Luxury Escapes had first considered the scheme in March, but it would not have been allowed under the rules of the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which has since changed its position somewhat.

He was also mindful of the anti-vaccination movement and said no one would be forced to participate in the company’s scheme.

“That is their right (not to vaccinate) but I don’t think they would be objecting to other people taking a vaccine.”

* The incentive does not apply to all packages and products purchased through Luxury Escapes.

Lakestone Lodge in New Zealand is one of many destinations eligible for the Luxury Escapes vaccination incentive program.