Recovery for Regional Tourism Program
Program Guidelines are now available. Applications from eligible entities opened on 30 November 2020 and will close on 30 September 2021.
On 27 September 2020, the Australian Government announced a $50 million Recovery for Regional Tourism Fund to support nine tourism regions which are heavily reliant on international tourism. This initiative is part of the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund to support regions, communities and industry sectors disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19.
The Recovery of Regional Tourism program will help businesses and regions heavily reliant on international tourism to retain and create jobs by driving visitation, spurring demand and improving product diversity to attract visitors. This will help regions achieve greater leverage from the domestic tourism market and to ensure there is a vibrant, internationally focused tourism industry still in place when international visitors return.
Eligible regions and allocation of funding
Under the Recovery for Regional Tourism measure, nine tourism regions are eligible across Australia. Funding allocated for each region is based on the relative economic gross value added by international visitors and tourism employment within the region.
The program will invest up to $50 million, with opportunities for matched funding, potentially boosting the total value of the program to $100 million. Funding for this program will be available for two years, commencing in 2020-21.
The eligible regions and the Australian Government funding allocated are:
| Tourism Region |
Maximum
Australian Government
Contribution |
| Australia’s South West (Western Australia) |
$1,250,000 |
| Gold Coast (Queensland) |
$10,000,000 |
| Kangaroo Island (South Australia) |
$3,500,000 |
| Lasseter and Alice Springs (Northern Territory) |
$3,500,000 |
| North Coast (New South Wales) |
$1,250,000 |
| Phillip Island region (Victoria) |
$3,500,000 |
| State of Tasmania |
$13,500,000 |
| Tropical North Queensland (Queensland) |
$10,000,000 |
| Whitsundays and Mackay region(Queensland) |
$3,500,000 |
Program Guidelines and assessment criteria
Program Guidelines are now available, outlining eligibility criteria and the application process. Please note there are strict requirements for eligible applicants (please refer section 4.1 of the Guidelines). The Guidelines encourage that one applicant makes a single application for funding for each region, and accordingly prescribes that eligible applicants will be either a Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO), or a State Tourism Organisation (STO) on behalf of one of the regions where it is more appropriate for the region’s application to come forward that way.
Applications will be assessed as they are received.
Each eligible region will be required to make a submission for projects that align with assessment criteria (refer section 6 of the Guidelines), including:
Mandatory
- Creates and retains jobs directly and indirectly related to tourism in the region
- Drives interstate tourism, recognising that interstate tourism is only possible when borders are open..
Highly desirable
- Meets identified regional needs and addresses gaps in existing assistance, delivered by any level of government
- Can deliver impact quickly, to aid rapid economic recovery in the region
- Encourages product and market diversification and adaptation
Details on eligible activities, eligible and ineligible expenditure can also be found in the Guidelines.
Key documents
Contact
Austrade will undertake regular consultations with eligible regions from October 2020. For more information on the Recovery for Regional Tourism initiative, please contact Austrade: RegionalTourismRecovery@austrade.gov.au