MSC resumes Mediterranean cruising on MSC Grandiosa

· MSC Cruises’ flagship departed yesterday from Genoa, Italy for its first 7-night cruise in West Mediterranean

· MSC Cruises’ own and comprehensive health and safety protocol implemented for all guests and crew

Goulburn Australia Launches New Destination Marketing Campaign

An exciting new Destination Marketing Campaign to promote Goulburn Australia is being rolled out by the Marketing & Events Team of Goulburn Mulwaree Council.

American travellers losing confidence in #Covid19 information sources, survey claims

According to the most recent Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, the ever-shifting threat of the pandemic has taken its toll on consumer confidence in official information sources. The percentage of travelers relying on information on the safety of U.S. travel from the CDC or other federal health agencies has dropped from 57% on April 22nd to 45% on July 29th.

New research shows Australians bursting for Pacific bubble

New data from travel platform, Vacaay, reveals Australians are eagerly awaiting the opening of the Pacific Bubble ­– with French Polynesia, Fiji and Cook Islands experiencing a surge in online interest.

To compare the shift in travel intention as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vacaay compared usage from 15 February to 15 March 2020 with the period 15 June to 15 July 2020.

Take a tour of Sydney’s fascinating pandemic history

City of Sydney staff wearing masks to protect themselves from 1919 flu (City of Sydney Archives)

Aligning with the current curiosity for pandemics and epidemics, Renaissance Tours have curated ‘In Sickness and in Health’, a fascinating look into discovering how disease and contagion changed the course of Sydney’s history from the days of colonisation to the present.

Jobkeeper extended until 2021. Extension explained

The Federal Government has announced it will extend the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme beyond the end of the existing JobKeeper scheme on 28 September 2020.  The extension will run up until 28 March 2021. 

The following is a summary of changes to the Jobkeeper scheme, though you can read more detail in this article. 

In regard to JobKeeper payments, under the extension the $1,500 fortnightly JobKeeper payment will reduce to the following:

Eligibility requirement – employees:
Eligible employees will qualify for the maximum rate or the reduced rate based on the hours they worked during the month of February 2020.  Employees who worked an average of 20 hours per week in the month of February 2020 will be eligible for the maximum rate.

Employer eligibility to receive JobKeeper payments from 28 September 2020, businesses will need to meet the basic eligibility tests and an extended decline in turnover test based on actual GST turnover.

Source: Hendersons Financial Planning

ATIC: Retention of JobKeeper backs Tourism’s future

ATIC has welcomed the retention of JobKeeper as an investment in a stronger future for one of Australia’s economic pillars and employers – tourism!

But the peak tourism industry body said re-consideration for exemption for seasonal tourism and associated businesses, particularly across Northern Australia, into JobKeeper 2.0, was needed.

ATIC Executive Director Simon Westaway said:

ATIC's Simon Westaway "retention of JobKeeper was an
absolute priority for our heavily impacted tourism industry"

“The Federal Government’s retention of JobKeeper was an absolute priority for our heavily impacted tourism industry, an employer of 1 million Australians, powered by thousands of small businesses. We recognise the significance of the continuing commitment to this valued Program.

“JobKeeper to date has done the job intended enabling sustainable businesses including most tourism enterprises to keep on key workers until the economy and visitor demand recovers.

“JobKeeper 2.0’s 6-month extension provides certainty to keep tourism business doors open because most still await visitor recovery with a firmly closed international border and ongoing domestic border restrictions in place across States and Territories in response to COVID-19.

“Australia’s border constraints remain critical in both tourism’s and our economy’s ability to effectively recover. Today’s announcement cannot mask this obvious ongoing economic impediment which drove our call-out for JobKeeper’s targeted extension.

“ATIC’s positive 5-point plan for JobKeeper’s future has been largely captured and we and our business members will work constructively with Government around its next-phase.

“This includes urgent engagement with Government and the Opposition on the best means to address the exceptional circumstances faced by seasonal tourism businesses, such as across Northern Australia, which didn’t qualify under the first stage of JobKeeper and will again continue to fall outside the Program’s next phase guidelines.

“Their value to Australia’s tourism industry and our diversity of offering is undeniable.

“These businesses’ ability to be eligible and re-considered inside JobKeeper 2.0 or be supported via targeted assistance through the Federal COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund due to their exceptional circumstances will be argued for.”