Update from Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board

20 January 2021

Dear business stakeholder,

Please see below for updates on the Victorian Government's support for Victorian Alpine Businesses, and the opening of the second round of the Travel Voucher Scheme.

Alpine Resorts Support Program Stream 2 Guidelines

The Victorian Government has released the guidelines for the Alpine Resorts Support Program - Stream 2.

The Victorian Government has established an Alpine Resorts Support Program to assist businesses in the Alpine Resorts manage the impacts of COVID-19. The announcement includes $5 million to provide grants to non-head lessee commercial operators within the Alpine Resorts and Dinner Plain. The Program is delivered by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (the Department).

The Guidelines set out the eligibility criteria for support under Stream 2 of the Program. Please ensure that you read this document and the grant terms and conditions carefully before completing the application form.

The Alpine Resorts Support Program has the following objectives:

To support entities in the Alpine Resorts, who have generally not qualified for the Commonwealth JobKeeper or Victorian Government business support packages to date, manage the impacts of COVID-19.
To assist these entities to recover post the COVID-19 pandemic and provide them with an opportunity to trade in winter 2021 with an attractive and competitive product against resorts in New South Wales and New Zealand which were open for business this year.

For the full guidelines document, please click here.

Tourism Boost With Second Round Of Travel Vouchers

The latest round of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme will open today, with 40,000 travel vouchers for $200 helping boost tourism and support jobs across the state.

The first round of the voucher scheme saw 70,000 vouchers obtained by Victorians planning trips over the Christmas/New Year break.

Preliminary data from the first round of the program showed the most popular destinations were the Mornington Peninsula, Bass Coast, East Gippsland, the Surf Coast and High Country.

Most people claiming for vouchers have spent around $1,000 on accommodation, tours or attractions on their trip – that’s on top of petrol, food, supplies and other purchases, underlying the significance of the tourism industry to local economies.

This round of 40,000 vouchers will be redeemable for travel between 27 January and 1 April. Successful applicants will be able to redeem their voucher after they have travelled and spent their money – ensuring cash flows immediately to regional businesses.

A further round of 40,000 vouchers will become available on 30 March for travel between 6 April and 31 May.

To be eligible you must be a Victorian resident aged 18 or over and spend a minimum $400 on accommodation, experiences or tours in regional Victoria during one of the specified periods.

Vouchers are limited to one per household and travellers are required to spend at least two nights in paid accommodation in regional Victoria to qualify for the scheme.

The Regional Travel Voucher Scheme is part of the $465 million Victorian Tourism Recovery Package, which also provides almost $300 million to improve infrastructure in iconic locations including Gippsland, the Great Ocean Road, Wilsons Promontory and the Grampians and invest in new tourism projects.

For more information on the voucher scheme and to apply, go to vic.gov.au/regional-travel-voucher-scheme.

Help stop the spread

We all need to play our part to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). By adhering to public health guidelines, we can help protect ourselves, our families and our communities.

Please visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au for up-to-date health information.