What is the Consumer Travel Support Program?
The Consumer Travel Support Program is a grant opportunity to assist travel agents and tour arrangement service providers who have been disproportionately impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Round Three of Consumer Travel Support Program will provide a payment for travel agents and inbound tour operators and tour wholesalers (tour arrangement service providers consistent with ANZSIC code 7220), and to eligible businesses severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objective
The objectives and intended outcomes of Round Three of the Program are to:
- Further assist previous grantees and eligible businesses that:
- have received a payment under Round Two, Multi-outlet, or both;
- continue to operate and are solvent; and
- continue to trade and meet their legal obligations, including processing refunds and credits to consumers.
- Assist new applicants that:
- are a new eligible business that were established and commenced operations in the calendar year 2019 or prior to 31 March 2020;
- have not received a payment under the CTSP program in Round One, Round Two or Multi-outlet scheme;
- continue to operate and are solvent;
- continue to trade and meet their legal obligations, including processing refunds and credits to consumers.
Funding
The Australian Government announced, on 19 March 2022, up to $75.5 million for this grant opportunity:
- The minimum grant amount is $7,500 per grantee.
- The maximum grant amount is $90,000 per grantee.
These tiers do not include the Multi-outlet payments, which are $10,000 per outlet as assessed previously under the Multi-outlet scheme
Eligible Projects
The grant may be used by eligible businesses to support them in dealing with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes expenditure that assists them to continue to trade and process refunds and credits to Australian consumers for travel they were unable to undertake due to the impacts of COVID-19.
Eligible Applicants
Existing Applicants from Round Two, Multi-outlet scheme, or both must:
- have received a payment under Round Two; or
- have received a payment under Multi-outlet Scheme only; or
- have received a Round Two and Multi-outlet payment; and
- continue to operate and are solvent; and
- continue to trade and meet their legal obligations, including processing refunds and credits to consumers; and
- provide supporting evidence you are a travel agent or inbound tour operator or tour wholesaler by holding active incorporation or registration in Australia; and may be a current financial member of one of the following trade associations:
- Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA)
- Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC)
- Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO), or
- Any other applicable tourism peak industry body (as determined by Austrade).
New applicants must:
- not have received a payment under CTSP Round One, Round Two or Multi-outlet scheme;
- have been operating a business as either a travel agent, inbound tour operator or tour wholesaler (tour arrangement service provider consistent with ANZSIC code 7220);
- be a new eligible business that was established and commenced operations in the calendar year 2019 or prior to 31 March 2020;
- have a registered and active Australian Business Number (ABN) as of calendar year 2019 or prior to 31 March 2020;
- provide supporting evidence of a pro-rata annual turnover of between $50,000 and $20 million in calendar year 2019 or prior to 31 March 2020;
- have an Australian bank account
- continue to operate and are solvent;
- provide supporting evidence you are a travel agent or inbound tour operator or tour wholesaler by holding active incorporation or registration in Australia; and may be a current financial member of one of the following trade associations:
- Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA)
- Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC)
- Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO), or
- Any other applicable tourism peak industry body (as determined by Austrade)
Timing
Applications close 20 Apri 2022.
