The Victorian Government is supporting tourism businesses directly impacted by the recent bushfires in East Gippsland and North East Victoria with a new initiative that encourages organisations to take their business to the regions.
The ‘Business & Sport for Bushfire Recovery’ program calls on business, sport and government agencies to committ to holding meetings, events and other business activities in bushfire affected regions in the next six to 18 months.
The program was designed to provide immediate and practical support for local businesses and people in fire affected communities, helping them to recover from the economic impact of the fires.
More than 115 organisations have already backed the initiative, including the AFL, NAB, Herald & Weekly Times, Collingwood Football Club, Cricket Australia, Crown, Tennis Australia, Alibaba, Swisse, PWC, Bosch Australia and AustralianSuper.
Smaller businesses and individuals are also encouraged to support regional tourism businesses which have suffered a downturn in trade in what would normally be their busiest months of the year.
Where businesses are closed due to bushfire impacts, consumers and corporates are encouraged to consider making online purchases or organising to visit when the doors are once again open.
Individuals who have had holiday plans in regional Victoria ruined by the fires are encouraged to defer travel rather than cancelling trips altogether.
In further support for tourism operators, Tourism North East and Destination Gippsland will each receive a $200,000 grant from the Victorian Government to assist with their immediate recovery efforts.
This includes support for a dedicated staff member to work directly with operators and coordinate marketing and campaign activities.
The Government’s tourism and events company, Visit Victoria, has also rallied behind the state’s tourism businesses with a range of marketing activities to promote the experiences on offer for visitors to regional Victoria.
Work continues across government and industry to develop more supports for tourism recovery.
For a full list of organisations signed up to the ‘Business & Sport for Bushfire Recovery’ program, and details on how companies can get involved, go to www.businesseventsvictoria.com/bushfirepledge
