Reviving International Tourism Grant Program

Status: Closed

Overview

The Reviving International Tourism Grant Program (RITG) supports international ready Australian tourism businesses, including wholesalers and exporters, to undertake demand-driving activities such as expos, business development and marketing.

How the program worked

Austrade is administering the program over 2 financial years (2022–23 and 2023–24). The total grant appropriation of $9 million  was split into 2 streams:

• Stream 1 ($6m): Reconnect with international markets
• Stream 2 ($3m): Digital uplift

Applications were demand-driven and eligibility based and capped to a maximum number of applicants based on available funding.

Program outcomes

Find successful grant program recipients on GrantConnect by searching for grant opportunity number GO6253 (Stream 1) and GO6272 (Stream 2).

Grant amounts

Successful grantees under Stream 1 received an initial grant payment of:

• $15,000 for ATEC member applicants
• $10,000 for CATO member applicants
• $10,000 for Other eligible applicants.

The remaining funds from the 2022-23 financial year will be equally distributed as a final payment of $24,000 in the 2023-24 financial year. This final payment will be made to all successful Stream 1 grantees. 

Grantees who receive funding in both 2022–23 and 2023–24 under Stream 1 may use these funds to attend the same eligible event.

Successful grantees under Stream 2 received a one-off grant payment of $2,000.

Important dates

Stream 1 applications:

• opened: 23 May 2023, 10:00am AEDT
• closed: 13 June 2023, 4:00pm AEDT.

Stream 2 applications:

• opened: 23 May 2023, 10:00am AEDT
• closed: 4 July 2023, 4:00pm AEDT.

All grant funding must be expended by 30 June 2024 and all grant activity for Streams 1 and 2 must be completed by 31 December 2024.

Eligibility

Stream 1 of RITG opened to eligible tourism exporters (inbound tour operators) and travel wholesalers (outbound tour operators/travel wholesalers) to reconnect with international markets by attending pre-approved eligible events.

Stream 2 of RITG opened to eligible tourism businesses to undertake digital uplift activities including website overhaul/audit, online booking capability, integration and automation of systems, production of brochures, social media modernisation and accessibility upgrades.

Applicants must have met all the eligibility criteria.

Guidelines

• Download the Reviving International Tourism Grants Guidelines (DOCX 1.08MB)

Payment of grants

Successful applicants of both RITG Stream 1 and 2 will be given a 16-digit Virtual Credit Card (VCC) to pay grant expenses. This allows Austrade to monitor expenditure and acquit grant funding. Grantees may need to produce invoices to support their expenditure.

Using the Virtual Credit Card

To make a transaction, grantees should enter the 16-digit number on an online merchant's website.

Please note the following conditions of RITG program expenditure: 

• The use of VCCs is limited to specific merchant codes that align with the grant program's eligible activities.
• Grant payments cannot be made using bank transfer.
• Reimbursement of paid invoices is not permitted.
• Keep your card details secure - anyone who has access to these details can spend your grant funds. 

A separate VCC will be issued for each RITG Stream, even if a grantee is successful for both Stream 1 and Stream 2.  

The second payment made under Stream 1 in the 2023–24 financial year will be automatically credited to the existing Stream 1 VCC.

All RITG VCCs will be de-activated on 1 July 2024 and any unspent grant funding will be forfeited.

Successful applicants must spend all grant funding by 30 June 2024. This may include allocating grant funding towards eligible activities up to 31 December 2024. All grant activities must conclude by 31 December 2024.

• Learn how to use the Virtual Credit Card (PDF 221KB - DOCX 469KB)

Contact us

Email: RITGrant@austrade.gov.au

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