The voucher scheme is open to Victorian residents aged 18 or over and is applicable when they spend a minimum $400 on accommodation, experiences or tours in regional Victoria (including Mornington Peninsula and the Yarra Ranges region) in the above specified periods.
Vouchers will be limited to one per household and travellers will be required to spend at least two nights in paid accommodation in regional Victoria to qualify for the scheme. The program works on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis and each round will close once all places have been filled for that particular round.
Below are some FAQs about the scheme:
What can Victorians claim with the voucher?
• Paid accommodation, which means serviced apartments, backpacker and hostels, bed and breakfasts, cabins or caravans in holiday parks, caravan and camping site fees, cottages, farm stays, private holiday rentals, houseboats, motels, hotels, resorts, retreats and lodges.
• Paid tours and experiences, which means tour operators that offer regularly organised tours with a leisure tourism focus. These may include a personal host and/or commentary. For example, a boat cruise, guided walk, bus tour, air tour, agri-tourism, food and wine tour, sport tour, outdoor and adventure tour.
• Entry fees to regional attractions, which means places/areas of interest that offer a distinct visitor experience to the leisure tourist such as museums, water parks, local attractions, theme parks etc.
What cannot be claimed with the voucher?
• gaming
• alcohol (except if alcohol is included in wine/brewery/distillery tasting or tour but excludes any alcohol purchased and consumed outside of the experience)
• fuel
• food and drinks (except where packaged with an Eligible Expense such as a winery tour)
• groceries
• personal items such as clothing and accessories
• transport costs (rental vehicles, train and bus tickets).
Do tourism businesses need to collect the voucher?
No. The process lies entirely with the applicant.
If they are successful in the application, they will receive confirmation via email. Once they complete their trip, they will need to lodge their claim and provide the receipts for the eligible expenses to receive the $200 refund.
Will vouchers be applicable to existing bookings?
Yes, as far as the trip occurs during the specific period detailed in the table above.
Successful applicants will be able to opt in to receive content from Visit Victoria about the destination they are travelling to.
How do I apply?
To apply for the voucher scheme, visit business.vic.gov.au/travelvouchers
