How to get one of 40,000 $200 travel vouchers for greater Melbourne

Up to 40,000 Melbourne travel vouchers to eat, sleep and play across the city is set to launch in a bid to kick start the city’s embattled tourism sector.

About 40,000 travel vouchers to spend on Melbourne hospitality and accommodation businesses will be up for grabs on Friday morning.

Based on the popular regional travel voucher scheme, the $200 vouchers are part of a $10 million “circuit breaker support package” to deal with the effects of pandemic shutdowns.

They can be used in 26 council areas across metropolitan Melbourne, with holders needing to spend $400 or more on accommodation, attractions or experiences.

At least two nights must be spent in paid stays during an eight-week period

between March 19 and May 16.

Meanwhile, Victorians will be able to buy half-price flights to ten domestic holiday destinations in a $1.2bn federal government package to keep the tourism industry afloat while the overseas border remains closed.

Tickets will go on sale in coming weeks for discounted return airfares from Melbourne to Cairns, Gold Coast, Maroochydore, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Devonport, Burnie, Launceston, Broome and Merimbula.

The government is expecting to subsidise the cost of about 800,000 fares, with the money paid directly to airlines including Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar so that holiday-makers can easily book at discounted rates for travel between April 1 and July 31.

State Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said the vouchers would deliver a significant boost to tourism operators.

“It will mean even more people have the chance to experience the best of Melbourne,” he said.

“Whether it’s a staycation or a visit from regional Victoria, there’s never been a better time to lose yourself in marvellous Melbourne.”

But state Opposition tourism, major events and sport spokeswoman Cindy McLeish said the government should have released the vouchers much earlier.

“Tourism, hospitality and accommodation businesses in metropolitan Melbourne have been struggling for a year now,” she said.

“They were forced to shed thousands of jobs during 2020, hold their breath over summer and shut down on Valentine’s Day.”

“The Andrews Labor Government needed to give hospitality and accommodation businesses a fighting chance months ago.”

Research fellow at RMIT Centre for Urban Research Dr Lucy Gunn said bringing office workers and visitors back to the city was key to revive its economy.

“A voucher system will only go part of the way to doing that,” she said.

“The new vouchers may inject some temporary buzz back into the city, but it is vaccinations and sustained confidence that comes from having certainty that will bring the city back to its former glory.”

RMIT senior lecturer in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing Dr Meg Elkins said

the reason why people didn’t go out wasn’t all about the money.

“It is about ingrained behaviours developed in lockdown,” she said.

“We have found new ways to fill this void of cultural engagement which have become habits, such as staying in for Netflix and engaging with the family.”

“A voucher is an extrinsic motivator of behaviour, but whether people engage in the scheme depends on their intrinsic motivation to participate in culture and tourism.”

The Melbourne vouchers will go online from 10am Friday at vic.gov.au/melbourne-travel-voucher-scheme.

And registrations for 50,000 vouchers available in the third round of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme will open on Tuesday, March 30.

The Melbourne vouchers will not apply to the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges, Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, as these areas are part of the regional scheme.