Holiday vouchers up for grabs

In a bid to give the Queensland tourism industry a boost, the State Government and Brisbane Economic Development Agency are giving Queenslanders the chance to secure one of 30,000 vouchers to spend with local operators.

The vouchers, on offer via the Holiday Dollars Scheme, can be used to claim 50 percent of the total cost of accommodation or experiences up to the value of $100.

For a recipient to gain greatest value from the scheme (i.e. redeem full $100), the experience/accommodation will need to be $200 minimum.

An additional 6000 vouchers will be on offer for experiences in the Whitsundays up to the value of $200.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the Brisbane Holiday Dollars campaign will pump millions of dollars back into the economy and help tourism operators doing it tough.

“We’ve seen how successful this program has been in Cairns – supporting local businesses and local jobs at a time the industry needs it most," she says.

“Today’s announcement will support local jobs and give Queenslanders an even bigger incentive to holiday at home and support their mates."

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe says Holiday Dollars is one part of the Palaszczuk Government’s comprehensive $800 million tourism support strategy.

“The Palaszczuk Government is working shoulder to shoulder with Queensland tourism to help the industry rebuild and rebuild better for the future,” he says.

How it works

The vouchers can only be used by Queenslanders in Queensland, with Brisbane Registered Tourism Operators.

Operators must have an Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) listing, a bookable platform and be COVID ‘good to go’ compliant to be part of the program.

Queenslanders who want to be part of the program must go into a ballot, which will be open to the public for 72 hours from April 27.

Successful recipients will be notified by text and email and have four weeks to make their bookings from 6 May for travel between 6 May and 13 July 2021. The vouchers will cover 50 per cent of the cost of the booking with eligible accommodation and tourism experience operators, up to a maximum of $100 (inc. GST).

Supporting local tourism

Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism Chairman Shane Newcombe welcomes the initiative, which he hopes will benefit operators across the state including the Moreton Bay Region.

“We have plenty of first-class accommodation providers and experiences here in the region who would welcome the support of locals and visitors across Queensland,” Mr Newcombe says.

“Now is the time to discover what’s on offer here in our own backyard and give the families who run these businesses a hand up.

“We’ve also earned a holiday, an experience to remember and some fun after a tough 12 months.”

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Header image: Brisbane Whale Watching