Spread the love
Post Views: 6

The Australian Federation of Travel Agents’ ongoing campaign for ongoing industry support including beyond the Federal Election has seen AFTA and Directors in Canberra this week.

A key priority has been securing the immediate distribution of the remaining $75.5 million outstanding as part of the COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Grant and encouraging Government to further refine the eligibility criteria. AFTA’s focus also continues to be securing bi-partisan support for the measures outlined in AFTA’s pre-Budget submission (available here https://www.afta.com.au/uploads/432/afta-pre-budget-sub-summary-250222.pdf )
AFTA also encourages all members to apply for support as soon as possible so that the applications are in the system.
Quotes attributable to Dean Long, CEO AFTA
“We know that there continue to be travel businesses which should have been eligible for support and would have been eligible under the criteria AFTA submitted to Government. We have and will continue to make the case to Government of the pressing need to fully adopt the AFTA framework so that those businesses get the support they need.”
“While the release of the outstanding funds is welcome news for many businesses which have qualified this time around and AFTA thanks the Government for the support, the Government’s current framework still leaves some areas for improvement.”
“AFTA will continue to campaign for as long as it takes to get the support we need including from whomever is in power after the next Federal Election. Effective government relations requires a long-term view and, two years on in AFTA’s campaign, we continue to invest the resources and time needed to achieve results.”
“Highlighting the unfairness of the current eligibility criteria via member case-studies has again helped us get traction across the political spectrum. We thank those who have already sent through a one-par email on their individual circumstances to MeetYourMp@afta.com.au. We will continue to use these compelling examples with politicians and media. We also need members to appreciate and understand that this is, by necessity, an ongoing campaign. We still need to stay focussed and keep the pressure on together.”