Voucher stimulus scheme to boost hospitality, tourism post-Covid

The Victorian government has unveiled a new voucher scheme to help lockdown-hit hospitality and tourism businesses. Here is how you can save big.

A $200m stimulus package will be rolled out by the state government in a bid to revitalise the struggling hospitality and tourism sectors post Covid.

It will include a new and extended $100m voucher scheme, which will provide rebates to Victorians for entertainment, dining and travel under a $10m round of Melbourne Money.

The rebate can be used in the CBD from Monday to Thursday and will rebate 25 per cent of the dining bill if more than $40 is spent.

However, the maximum discount available is $125 on a $500 bill.

The scheme will be extended across the state, with a new $30m program providing rebates on food and wine experiences in regional areas and suburbs.

A new entertainment voucher scheme will also provide $30m in rebates for tickets to the theatre, live music, cinemas, museums, exhibitions and galleries.

Meanwhile, a further $30m will be put towards a new round of the Victorian Travel Voucher Scheme to encourage more people to holiday across the state.

A total of 150,000 $200 vouchers are set to be issued for a $400 minimum spend on tourism and travel-related services.

All of the vouchers are set to be available from mid to late March.

Industry Support and Recovery Minister Martin Pakula says business and consumer confidence is critical for continued economic recovery. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Businesses are also set to receive targeted support with a $60m Ventilation Voucher Program to help small businesses purchase equipment and upgrades to reduce Covid transmission in the workplace.

A further $34.2m of Jobs Victoria funding will be distributed to place workers in more than 1500 jobs across hospitality, warehousing and logistics, tourism and food processing. Another $5m will be used to extend the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program, providing rebates of up to $1200 so businesses can access a range of digital tools.

Industry Support and Recovery Minister Martin Pakula said business and consumer confidence was critical for continued economic recovery.

“That’s why we’re investing in these programs to deliver a boost where it is needed most,” Mr Pakula said.

“We’re encouraging Victorians to experience the best the state has to offer by going to see a show, having lunch with friends or visiting somewhere new.”

$30m will be put towards a new round of the Victorian Travel Voucher Scheme to encourage more people to holiday across the state.

Creative Industries Minister Danny Pearson said the targeted support would help businesses in the creative sector.

“Our arts and cultural scene was hit hard by the global pandemic and that’s why we’re supporting these businesses to bounce back in 2022,” he said.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Paul Guerra welcomed the announcement.

“We expect that Victorians will take up these vouchers with haste so we can make March all about supporting business and making the most of the beautiful weather and everything our state has to offer,” Mr Guerra said.

“We know that Victorian businesses are ready to roar back and this package will help them to seize the opportunity to do that as they welcome more customers and visitors back.

“Now, we need the state government to reverse the strong recommendation to work from home.”

An entertainment voucher scheme will provide $30m in rebates for tickets to the theatre, live music, cinemas, museums, exhibitions and galleries. Picture: Michelle Grace Hunder

Opposition spokesman for CBD Recovery and Small Business David Southwick slammed the government’s announcement as a “sugar hit”.

“The CBD is a ghost town. We may have some trade in the evenings and on weekends but Monday to Friday 9-5 pays the bills,” he said.

“It’s not good enough for Daniel Andrews and his ministers to come out and say ‘here’s a bit of a sugar hit to help you’ and drip feed on the way out.

“Businesses don’t need hands out. Businesses need customers.”

Mr Southwick said while the support package was a necessary response, the city couldn’t truly rebuild with workers at home and the mask mandate still in force.

The state opposition has estimated that over the course of the pandemic, the taxpayer has paid at least $40m to public servants to stay away from the city as a work-from-home allowance.

“Labor’s work-from-home mandate is keeping 50,000 workers away from the CBD, robbing small businesses of critical foot traffic and holding back our recovery,” Mr Southwick added.

“With New South Wales moving to drop mask mandates and work-from-home orders, Victoria must now follow suit or be left even further behind.”

Zoe Leavy and Megan Ross at Arbory Afloat, which may soon get a boost from the new voucher system.

But Victoria Tourism Industry Council CEO Felicia Mariani said the package was “exactly what the industry needed to boost confidence and set their business on a strong path for recovery”.

“This $200m investment by the Victorian state government is timed perfectly to build on the momentum of borders opening today and density limit restrictions easing further,” she said.

“The state’s visitor economy has lost nearly $20bn over the last two years and our industry has been proven to be the hardest hit by the consequences of this global pandemic.

“This massive injection of funding to support driving demand back to our tourism and hospitality operators across the state will go a long way in working to claw back some of this lost territory.”

HOPE FOR EASING OF MASK RULES

Industry leaders have criticised the government’s move to hold off on announcing an end to mask mandates and work-from-home orders.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday morning revealed QR codes would be ditched in some settings, density limits scrapped and dance floors ­reopened. But indoor mask rules remain in place and office workers are still “strongly encouraged” to work from home, and another announcement is expected on Friday.

NSW has already committed to removing mask mandates in most indoor settings by the end of this week.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said on Sunday he hoped relaxed mask rules in offices would also be announced on Monday.

Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said the government would continue to take a “measured approach”.

“I think it will be looked at and discussed – does it go from compulsory to recommended?” he said.

“Mask wearing on public transport will certainly remain for the foreseeable future.”

Industry leaders say mask rules are holding back the city’s recovery. Picture: Ian Currie

Opposition Industrial Relations spokesman Nick Wakeling said it should be the priority to get workers, particularly the public service ­sector, back into the city.

“The CBD is dying, it’s crying out for help,” he said.

The Victorian head of employer association AI Group, Tim Piper, said decision-making should be driven not just by health advice, but also by economic advice.

“I’m certainly hoping they will make the announcement before the Friday – it will let workers get ready to return to work,” he said.

Industry groups are also concerned that a delayed easing of restrictions will have a flow-on effect for the tourism sector and small businesses.

Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief executive Felicia Mariani said it was “absolutely mission critical” to cease all working from home orders as soon as possible.

“It’s really important that we get masks off in the office as well,” Ms Mariani said. “Our city is languishing and we need to get our office workers back in. Without them our recovery will continue to be stunted.”

Small Business Australia executive director Bill Lang said the government was “continuing to punish” small businesses through inaction. “Our city traders, who rely on foot traffic in the CBD to survive, need work-from-home orders lifted and the mandated return of public servants to the office immediately,” he said.