Tourism is one of the most important industries in Australia and is also one of the major driving forces of country’s economy. This is the reason why both the Australian Federal and State governments have numerous funding programs in place to develop various tourism projects and attract tourists from all over the world to Australia. In this section, we will discuss about some of these funding programs and their eligibility criteria.
One such funding program sponsored by the Federal government, provides grants of up to $20,000 with the aim of leveraging Tourism Australia’s international marketing expertise. Its main focus is on increasing the number of foreign delegates visiting Australia to take part in various events. Simply put, the grant aims at increasing the number of international visitors for business events in Australia, and to convince international businesses’ decision makers to consider Australia for their business events.
Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible for funding under this grant, businesses must:
- be legal and be willing to enter into an agreement with Tourism Australia
- not have any credit default history and should be in a healthy financial condition
- fulfill all laws applicable including workplace health and safety
- exhibit a clear process and reporting methods for the activity they propose
Another program funded by the Australian Federal government provides grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 for tourism industries. The total grant amount awarded under this program is not to exceed 50% of the total project costs. The main aim of the grant is to provide groups or consortiums of tourism businesses in Australia with access to a business facilitator and/or an action plan to improve their competitiveness in bringing in more and more interstate and overseas tourists to Australia.
Eligibility Criteria:
In order to be able to apply for this grant, applicants must:
- have an ABN
- be registered for GST
- be a company incorporated in Australia or be an incorporated trustee
- have an annual turnover of less than $100 million
- have the intent to engage in trade with buyers to increase trading in Australian markets
- have operated in Australia for at least 3 consecutive years
One state government funded grant available to SMEs, event managers and individuals in tourism sector provides funding in excess of $50,000 to create and run events locally which are capable of attracting more tourists, both local and international. The main intention behind this grant is to create visibility to the region by attracting enough media coverage and to add some vibrancy to the community.
To be able to apply for this grant, businesses must be:
- individual owned, or
- an organization capable of conducting medium to large public events
- submitting their applications at least 12 prior to the date of the event
Apart from funding for tourism projects, many states also provide assistance in the form of incentives, business advisory services, startup packages, and subsidies. If you are in tourism business and want to know more about various grants available in the industry and their eligibility criteria, please speak to one of our advisors.
