Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Polley for raising an issue that is so vitally important, particularly to regional areas. Tourism and travel are vital to our regions and vital to our economy. They have been for a long time and they continue to be, particularly during these troubling times of COVID. I want to highlight that I truly do understand the impact COVID has had on this sector. Just on New Year's Eve I saw in my home town that every single caravan park was full to the brim until 5 pm, when the Victorian government, with no prior notice, announced that they would be shutting the borders. Every single caravan park in my home town emptied within four hours. In fact, there were reports of traffic jams and near misses, with cars struggling to make the border by the deadline. That is the impact that kneejerk and sudden reactions and sudden, ill-thought-through and unplanned announcements can have on our industries.

I have written to all state premiers and to the Prime Minister imploring a consistent approach to COVID lockdowns and to state border closures. Define what a hotspot is. Deal with hotspots. Manage and contain the crisis so that the rest of Australia can get on with their business. Tourism is one of those vital businesses. I commend our government for today launching a week-long tourism advertising blitz that is encouraging people to 'holiday here this year'. It makes sense. Australia has some of the best holiday locations in the world, as shown in a normal year by the vast number of international tourists who come here to see what we've got to offer. Well, this year I call on every Australian to pack up their car and go for a holiday in the regions.

Our government is spending $5 million marketing this push, and it is going to inspire Australians to holiday. But we've already done a lot to support the tourism and travel sector in this country as well as supporting our aviation sector. We have recently announced the COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program, with $128 million available in grants to tourist and travel agents. We also have the $50 million Recovery for Regional Tourism program and a further $100 million earmarked for tourism related infrastructure through the Building Better Regions Fund, directly benefitting the tourism industry in the regions. This is what Senator Polley claims we have turned our back on. Well, we have not.

Yes, tourism has been impacted negatively by COVID, but there are green shoots. Already we are seeing improvement in domestic tourism, with Queensland up 10 per cent. Western Australia was up five per cent prior to the latest lockdown. Tasmania, Senator Polley's own state, was recording a 47 per cent increase. This is all good news for domestic tourism. It is my genuine hope that domestic tourism continues to be embraced post COVID and once the international borders open again. As I said before, we have so much to offer people, and our regional areas welcome people with open arms. Our regional areas have actually fared better than some of the capital cities through COVID, and the tourism businesses in those areas have welcomed that. Not only are the regions less reliant on interstate travel but we have benefited from people in those capital city population centres looking to escape and take a break in their home states. It has been great.

Of the $128 million targeted grant program I previously mentioned, we have already got $54 million out the door to travel agents. We stand united with our domestic tourist industry. We are still working with our travel agents to find more ways we can support them so that they can continue to do what they do best: to get people out the door and on holiday and, particularly through this crisis, doing so in our regions, in our glorious country.