SA open to VIC, second round of vouchers & QR codes
Great news to start the new month – we hit another significant milestone today, after reopening our border to Victoria, our state’s largest domestic market, at midnight last night.
We also announce the second round of our hugely popular Great State vouchers, which you will see in today’s The Advertiser.
And we welcome the use of the QR code system to enhance contact tracing, as restrictions further ease from today as announced last Friday.
Border opens to Victoria
I’m at Adelaide Airport this morning to greet the first inbound passenger flight arriving from Melbourne in more than four months. This morning’s Qantas flight, a full flight, will be greeted with a special SA welcome – and as we look ahead to a week’s worth of flights and the first Virgin flight tomorrow, it is positive signs our visitor economy is taking steps back to business. There was also a red-carpet welcome on the road at the border at midnight last night just outside Mount Gambier.
Round two of Great State Vouchers
We understand there are ongoing challenges facing our industry and the summer holidays are an important period for operators as the usual peak season. Since the launch of our Great State voucher campaign in October, we’ve listened to accommodation providers and industry about what further stimulus will be of most benefit.
With the first round of vouchers injecting nearly $10 million into our state’s visitor economy, it is a stimulus program that is proven to work and we’re ready to launch it again, in time for the peak summer holiday period to further stimulate the state’s tourism sector when it needs it most.
The second round of the Great State vouchers expands the original program and now includes:
- interstate visitors
- an extension of the travel booking period to further drive redemption
- The inclusion of smaller operators with five or more rooms (a change from 10 or more in the first round).
As with the first round, the offer (now extended to Australian residents over the age of 18) will be a discount on a booking with participating accommodation providers:
- $100 off a booking in 5000 and 5006 postcodes, and
- $50 off a booking in metropolitan suburbs and regional South Australia.
More than 800 accommodation providers, including operators with five or more rooms, will have the chance to sign up for the scheme – a huge boost for both operators and the broader tourism sector. An email has been sent to operators who might be eligible for round two.
The second iteration of the scheme, which will launch on 5 January 2021, will also include some brand new properties – in North Adelaide Majestic M Suites in North Adelaide, and Tom’s Court Hotel, EOS by SkyCity and Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets (pictured below) in the city.
The booking period for the second voucher round will run 7-31 January 2021, for travel from 7 January to 31 March 2021 inclusive (excluding Saturday nights). For more information, go to southaustralia.com/voucher, or see the media release at tourism.sa.gov.au.
COVID SAfe Check-In – from today
Many businesses will today be introducing the new QR code system – COVID SAfe Check-In – to enhance our state’s contract tracing capabilities. I know many of you are keen to hear more about this and what it means to your business, and it was terrific last night to receive more information from SA Health.
Businesses with a COVID Safe Plan will receive a new COVID Safe Plan via email that includes a poster with a unique QR code. This should be printed off and displayed in a prominent location within the business (or presented digitally such as on a tablet).
When people arrive at a venue or business, they can check-in by scanning the QR code using their smart phone through the mySA Gov app. If people don’t have the app they can use their smart phone camera and a secure web form will open to check in. People will receive a text confirmation when they check in.
The COVID SAfe Check-In applies to all defined public activities with a COVID Safe Plan. It includes licensed venues, any premises with on-site or takeaway consumption of food, providers of recreational transport, and more.
I encourage you review the frequently asked questions for businesses and customers, which are available at covid-19.sa.gov.au/business-and-work/covid-safe-check-in.
Thank you again, and let’s hope December is a good month for us all.
Rodney Harrex
Chief Executive