The travel industry has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement of wage support through the ‘JobKeeper’ payment, described as a lifeline for Australia’s tourism industry.
ATEC Managing Director Peter Shelley said while the payment won’t protect every tourism job, it will help support some of the businesses who can get the industry back on its feet.
“This is about keeping the knowledge and skills of our industry connected.
“Australia’s $45bn export tourism industry has already been battered by January’s bushfires which were closely followed by the closure of our China inbound market – two setbacks which hit the tourism industry long before the broader economy shutdown of recent weeks.
“Tourism employs one in 13 Australians and export tourism accounted for around 10% of our exports last year, so tourism’s ability to get back on its feet quickly will help to drive our economic recovery.
The challenge now remains with how tourism employees can be productive and turn their energy toward helping to build their businesses and take full advantage of the downtime.
“This remains a terribly challenging time for tourism businesses across Australia and sadly not all will be able to take advantage of this package, but the support for those businesses who can retain their employees will be welcomed.”
