Adventure Tourism Victoria demands business grants to be paid on day one of lockdown

Adventure Tourism Victoria, a not-for-profit organisation representing the youth and adventure tourism market in Victoria, is calling for business grants to be paid on day one of lockdown to provide some relief to business owners in the same way COVID disaster payments are being managed by the Federal Government for employees.

Adventure Tourism Victoria (ATV) President, Alex Hill notes “frustratingly and somewhat predictably Victoria is about to enter its 6th lockdown. With the likelihood that this will not be our last before we crawl towards an 80% vaccination rate, we at ATV demand that business grants be paid on day one of any lockdown that is set to last seven days or more.

“These grants should be automatic and without the need for further paperwork. Consumer confidence has never been lower and will not recover until the population is vaccinated to a point where government assures us that lockdowns are no longer required.

“Until that point, we require automatic, reliable funding to survive.”

ATV was established in 2018 and with more than 40 members made up of tour operators, accommodation providers, travel agents, booking platforms and attractions, advocates for the prosperity of Victorian tourism businesses.

ATV works to provide support, training and networking opportunities for its members, but its current focus is on advocacy following the intense tourism challenges of 2020 – namely the Australian bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.