he Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) today urged the travel industry to speak with a single voice to maximise the potential for the ongoing Government support to our industry.
AFTA has been working closely with Government since the start of the pandemic to:
- Highlight the economic hit travel agents have taken, the problems agents are facing and the unique situation agents are in;
- Reinforce the critical importance of travel agents to the tourism sector and the Australian economy;
- Push for Government support including financial assistance.
AFTA has produced a number of detailed submissions to Treasury in partnership with KPMG as part of this ongoing lobbying. A final paper formally putting the travel industry’s case for a JobKeeper extension is expected to be lodged next Tuesday.
The grass roots email campaign from tour operators and agents targeting local Parliamentarians threatens to derail AFTA’s hard work at a critical time.
Agents are being asked to channel their energy to the AFTA sentiment survey – HERE, which will provide further reinforcement of AFTA’s case to government of the need for additional support including the extension of the eligibility of JobKeeper. Quotes attributable to Tom Manwaring, Chair of AFTA on behalf of the AFTA Board.
“Treasury and Government have made it very clear that they need hard facts and data to determine the expansion of eligibility for JobKeeper. This is why we have invested time and resources in partnering with KPMG to provide the level of detail necessary.”
“This lobbying has been underway since the start of the pandemic with the AFTA team advocating since late January on the need for Government support for travel agents and our sector. It’s a complex and detailed interaction and it takes time.”
“We are fighting on multiple fronts and we want to make sure that our message does not get diluted or confused. Writing a letter to your MP might make you feel good but it may in fact be counter-productive to AFTA’s efforts and may not assist with the process at this late stage.”
