As has been extensively covered in travel and tourism media, but it appears very much less so in mainstream media, on 28 August 2020 AFTA lodged a pre-Budget Submission which AFTA describes as setting out what they believed was a compelling case for the Federal Government to provide a Travel Agent Support Package of $125 million.
AFTA described this bid as an essential ask if the industry was to get through to the other side of COVID-19 safely, but with the budget released on Tuesday this week, it appears that AFTA’s $125 million bid has failed.
AFTA says it supported the measures included in the budget for businesses in general, including that one of the measures in the budget allows current losses to be carried back and offset against previous years, which was a “key recommendation in the AFTA pre-Budget submission.
AFTA also said that they support the increased investment in mental health including suicide prevention, critical for so many sectors in these incredibly difficult times, with AFTA CEO Darren Rudd saying the Budget contained a number of innovative measures for small businesses which should provide relief to travel agents, tour wholesalers and operators, but noted that these businesses would only be able to recover after international travel is possible once again.
While it appears not commenting specifically on the failure of ATFAs travel industry specific bid, Mr Rudd says, “We are currently examining the details of the wider Budget and its impact on the industry, and continue to work with the Government closely on developing a sector-specific package”.
Rudd added, “We will continue to do whatever it takes to persuade our political leaders of the pressing need to help the sector”.
A report by John Alwyn-Jones
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