Scott Morrison is leaving the tourism sector behind and putting jobs at risk by ignoring industry pleas for support beyond the end of JobKeeper.
As the months of government inaction continue, tourism workers and businesses are understandably becoming increasingly anxious about whether they will still have a job after 28 March.
A survey by the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) shows that if JobKeeper is not extended three out of every ten travel agencies will close immediately across Australia.
Travel agents are not alone, with many international-facing tourism businesses likely to be among the last to recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19.
The Morrison Government keeps saying it needs more data before it will make a decision. Meanwhile, people’s livelihoods are at risk.
The bungled COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program isn’t being delivered quickly enough to secure the jobs of many workers in the industry, four out of five of whom are women.
The AFTA survey results, which the government has seen, are just the latest in a long line of numbers that clearly demonstrate the industry’s need for further support.
AFTA President Mr Darren Rudd has warned that once JobKeeper ends, eight out of ten people still working in travel will be out of a job, 30 per cent of businesses will close and 52 per cent will be at risk if support is not extended beyond 28 March.
Scott Morrison is not on the side of travel agents and tourism workers.
He’s leaving them to go it alone, while he focuses on photo ops and announcements, and never delivers.