COVID-19 National: Business, Non-Profits – Recovery for Regional Tourism Program

This program aims to support nine tourism regions which are heavily reliant on international tourism, as part of the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund to support regions, communities and industry sectors disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The program will help businesses and regions heavily reliant on international tourism to retain and create jobs by driving visitation, spurring demand and improving product diversity to attract visitors. This will help regions achieve greater leverage from the domestic tourism market and to ensure there is a vibrant, internationally focused tourism industry still in place when international visitors return.

Under the measure, nine tourism regions are eligible across Australia. Funding allocated for each region is based on the relative economic gross value added by international visitors and tourism employment within the region.

The eligible regions and the Australian Government funding allocated are:
- Australia’s South West (Western Australia): $1.25 million
- Gold Coast (Queensland): $10 million
- Kangaroo Island (South Australia): $3.5 million
- Lasseter and Alice Springs (Northern Territory): $3.5 million
- North Coast (New South Wales): $1.25 millio
- Phillip Island region (Victoria): $3.5 million
- State of Tasmania: $13.5 million
- Tropical North Queensland (Queensland): $10 million
- Whitsundays and Mackay region(Queensland): $3.5 million

Applicants are encouraged to provide funding co-contributions.

A total funding pool of $50 million is available over two financial years, allocated as follows:
- $20 million in 2020-21
- $30 million in 2021-22

Eligible applicants will be either:
- A RTO (or in the case of NSW, a Destination Network) from one of the nine regions and must be one of the following entities:
a) An entity, incorporated in Australia
b) A company limited by guarantee
c) An incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
d) An incorporated association
e) An incorporated not-for-profit organisation
- A state tourism organisation (STO) on behalf of one of the nine regions, where it is more appropriate for a region's application to come forward in this way.

All applicants must:
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Be registered for the purposes of GST.
- Have an account with an Australian financial institution that is located within Australian territorial boundaries.

Where there are multiple RTOs in a region, applicants must appoint a ‘lead organisation’. Only the lead organisation can submit the application and enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete eligibility requirements.

Eligible activities must help to create and retain jobs by driving visitation, spurring demand and improving product diversity to attract domestic visitors into the region. This could include:
- Support to develop and deliver new marketing strategies and content.
- Support to develop new tourism product, experiences, festivals or events.
- New marketing partnerships with airlines and airports.
- Tourism business advisory and/or capacity building services.
- Support to re-engage with the interstate travel trade.
- Upgrades to visitor information services.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the list of eligible expenditure.

The main assessment criteria include:
1. Mandatory (10 points each)
- Creates and retains jobs directly and indirectly related to tourism in the region.
- Drives interstate tourism, recognising that interstate tourism is only possible when borders are open.

2. Highly desirable (5 points each)
- Meets identified regional needs and addresses gaps in existing assistance, delivered by any level of government.
- Can deliver impact quickly, to aid rapid economic recovery in the region.
- Encourages product and market diversification and adaptation.

The following are ineligible for funding:
- Expenditure on activities outside of the region, except for expenditure that is directed at providing a benefit to the region.
- Costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation.
- Costs incurred prior to a grant agreement being executed.
- Ongoing wages and other staff costs, unless those costs are to engage new temporary staff employed specifically and exclusively to implement the region’s assistance measures. A cap of $80,000 is placed on these costs over the period of the grant agreement, unless the applicant can present a case in their application for a higher level of funding.
- General ongoing administration of an organisation such as communications, accommodation, office computing facilities, printing and stationery, postage, legal and accounting fees and bank charges.
- Non-project related staff training and development costs.
- Costs involved in the purchase or upgrade/hire of software (including user licences) and ICT hardware (unless it relates directly to the project).

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of ineligible expenditure.