Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told Perth reporters yesterday that the federal government will soon announce measures to help the tourism sector once JobKeeper ends at the end of this month. However, he noted that the government could not rescue every tourist business that has been impacted by international border closures, and that it has already provided $251 billion in economic stimulus.
Frydenberg’s statement came after the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) yesterday released research showing that over one-third of Australian tourism regions had suffered at least a 40% reduction in visitor numbers over the 12 months to 31 September 2020.
The TFF claims that it has engaged in “very constructive and detailed in-person briefings in recent weeks” with Josh Frydenberg and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan and is “confident” that its concerns will be met with targeted government support.
