The Premier of Tasmania Peter Gutwein has made an important announcement in Parliament today, Tuesday 18 August 2020 regarding border closures for this state.
As is now available on the Tasmanian Government website, on the Important Community Updates page, it states that:
The Tasmanian Government has announced that current border restrictions will remain in place until at least 1 December 2020.
The current border restrictions will remain to allow sufficient time for the COVID-19 situation in Victoria to be controlled, ensure all required planning, monitoring and response capabilities are in place, as well as to allow Tasmanian communities and local businesses to prepare for possible border relaxations.
Border re-openings will continue to be dependent on the situation in other jurisdictions and further information will be provided when it is available.
In March Tasmania was the first state in Australia to close its borders. The current situation sees everyone except for essential travellers being required to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival.
Local Travel
To encourage Tasmanians to undertake local travel around their state and to stimulate local tourist infrastructure there will be grants available totalling $7.5 million. Referred to as 'Make yourself at home' travel vouchers, they will be offered in September, October and November for Tasmanians who travel beyond their municipality, to stay midweek in accommodation and experience the tourism and attractions of a different area in Tasmania.
What the vouchers offer:
- Up to $100 towards the cost of a room in commercial accommodation
- Up to $50 per booking to participate in a tourism experience such as a cruise, a walk, or entry into an attraction such as the Port Arthur Historic site or the Tahune Airwalk.
Support for businesses
Local businesses are invited to conduct their meetings or team building activities away from their local area and venture to other parts of the state. With this initiative, they will also be able to access the voucher support.
Ministerial statement
Premier Peter Gutwein's Ministerial statement dated 18 August 2020 is available here
Tasmanians urged to explore their own backyard
The Tourism and Hospitality industry has been one of the hardest-hit through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having extended the border restrictions until at least 1 December 2020, the Tasmanian Government will be doing more to help these critical sectors.
A series of support and incentive measures have been made to help drive intrastate visitation, and support and encourage Tasmanians to get out and experience their home state.
Tasmanians have been extremely supportive of local businesses already, with hotel and accommodation occupancy rates relatively strong during the recent school holidays and on the weekends.
However, the Government wants Tasmanians enjoying everything their unique and beautiful state has to offer at all times, not just the weekend, ensuring the spread of the benefits more widely and to all areas of the state.
The Government is introducing the ‘Make yourself at home travel voucher’, which means that across the months of September, October and November, a total of $7.5 million will be made available to encourage Tasmanians to travel outside of their municipality, to stay midweek in accommodation or to purchase a tourism experience for any day of the week.
The support will provide up to $100 towards the cost of a room in commercial accommodation or up to $50 per booking to participate in a tourism experience whether that be a cruise, a walk or entry to an attraction such as the Port Arthur Historic Site or the Tahune Airwalk.
The voucher system is expected to support up to 25,000 bed nights or 50,000 tourism experiences each month.
The Government wants local businesses to conduct their meetings or team building workshops away from their base in other parts of the state and they will be able to access this support as well to hold mini-conferences and meetings.
