How to land a $200 travel voucher for regional Victoria

Fifty thousand $200 vouchers are up for grabs in the latest regional travel scheme for Victorians. See how to get your hands on one.

Victorians can secure a $200 voucher online in the latest round of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme.. Picture- Nicole Cleary

A whopping 50,000 Victorians can secure a $200 voucher online for a trip to the coast or country in the latest round of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme.

The third allocation of the scheme, to go online at 10am on Tuesday, brings the total number of vouchers released to 160,000.

Acting Tourism Minister Jaala Pulford said the most recent round of 40,000 vouchers was snapped up within just 15 minutes.

“We are thrilled that so many people are able to explore our regional cities, towns, hinterlands and coastal areas, and they are voting with their keyboards to secure these sought-after vouchers,’’ she said.

“The third round of the regional scheme will boost visits for the period straight after Easter, which already looks like a bumper time for people to discover new parts of Victoria.

“The voucher winners will be happy, but the biggest winners will be the businesses that have shown such resilience over the past year and the workers who make our visitor economy great.’’

More than 52,000 vouchers were redeemed in the first round of travel in December and January, with visitors to regional Victoria spending an estimated $85 million.

Victorians have so far made 14,000 claims to date for round two travel, which can be claimed until April 1.

Jill Stephens, co-operator at Lake Pertobe Motor Boats . Picture- Nicole Cleary

This third round is redeemable for the travel period between April 6 and May 31.

The hot spots to visit have been coastal regions including the Mornington Peninsula, Bass Coast, Surf Coast, East Gippsland and Colac-Otway shires.

Jill Stephens, from Lake Pertobe Motor Boats in Warrnambool, said: “The Regional Travel Voucher Scheme has been incredibly beneficial for the business.

“Since December we have had lots of customers request receipts, indicating that they are spending money they have received from the government for travel.

“We are seeing better numbers in general and not just over peak holiday periods. Now we don’t have to solely rely on these peak periods – we are able to have a constant flow of customers – something that is very important for local businesses.”

To qualify for the scheme, you must be a Victorian resident over the age of 18 and spend at least $400 on accommodation, experiences, tours or attractions in regional Victoria, the Yarra and Dandenong Ranges or the Mornington Peninsula.

Vouchers are limited to one per household for the regional scheme and a minimum two night stay is required in paid accommodation such as hotels and motels, serviced apartments, caravan parks, camping sites, farm stays and private holiday rentals.

For more information on the voucher scheme and apply, go to vic.gov.au/regional-travel-voucher-scheme.

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Originally published as How to land a $200 travel voucher for regional Victoria