Autumn in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria. Photo credit: Adrian Mohedano via Wikimedia Commons
Some 50,000 travel vouchers were taken up by Victorians in just over three minutes yesterday (Tuesday), providing a major boost to tourism businesses and workers across the state.
The $10-million third round of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme represented the largest release of the popular $200 vouchers and unprecedented interest saw the allocation exhausted in record time, the Premier’s office said in a statement.
More than 46,000 people were waiting to apply as applications opened at 10am. The allocation was gone in just three minutes and 35 seconds, with 82,000 people online at the peak.
Victorians who secured vouchers will be able to claim a rebate for travel between 6 April and 31 May. According to the State Government, a fourth round of the voucher scheme release is still being planned and will comprise vouchers that were taken up in the initial rounds but not used.
Regional voucher holders are required to spend $400 on paid accommodation, experiences, tours or attractions in regional Victoria, the Yarra and Dandenong Ranges or the Mornington Peninsula. They must also spend at least two nights in paid accommodation.
The new allocation means 200,000 travel vouchers for $200 have now been taken up by Victorians, including 40,000 vouchers for travel in metropolitan Melbourne currently in circulation.
Figures released by the State Government indicate there have been more than 52,000 voucher redemptions and $85-million spent by Victorians in the first round, with an average length of stay of five nights and approximately $1,700 spent per voucher.
Four out of five visitors said that they would want to return to the region where they had travelled using the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme.
“It’s fantastic that so many people want to explore their state and support the businesses and workers that make Victoria the best place in the country to visit,” said the state’s acting tourism minister, Jaala Pulford.
“We know that our holiday destinations will be busy over Easter – these vouchers will help to ensure that demand stays high across April and May.”