The Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, the nations largest grassroots advocacy group representing taxpayers, has recommended against giving the tourism industry government handouts to make up for their lost profits during the China travel ban.
"A travel ban is instituted. Less than a week later the tourism industry has begun begging for government funding like a kid in a toy store begging for a chinpokomon because his friend Stan has one," says ATA policy director Emilie Dye.
"Farmers have received subsidies after suffering for years in a government-made drought. Bushfire survivors have received aid after losing everything to the fires. I don’t think travel agencies quite make the cut?
"The taxpayers don’t need to subsidise every industry facing hard times," Emilie says.
"It seems the tourism industry has forgotten the primary rule of investing: diversify, diversify, diversify. They put all their bats in one basket and now they have come home to roost. Travel agencies still have 194 countries they can do business with.
"The taxpayers are not responsible for poor business practices in the tourism industry. By not subsidising an industry, we force them to be better. No one said going into business was easy."
