Business SA says the events and international tourism sectors need special help beyond JobKeeper if they are to survive

Support measures which go beyond JobKeeper must be considered for the events and international tourism sectors, which are suffering a disproportionate amount of the pain from COVID-19 restrictions, Business SA says. Ahead of the release of its quarterly Survey of Business Expectations on Tuesday, the business advocacy organisation’s chief executive Martin Haese said if these business are to survive, more support is necessary. “Event organisers, travel agents, inbound tour operators, event venues, live performance venues, hire businesses primarily linked to events, the arts sector, hospitality and accommodation providers in locations heavily reliant on international tourism such as Adelaide CBD and Kangaroo Island, all remain deeply impacted by ongoing COVID-19 restrictions,’’ he said. “For these businesses, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. “While the extension of JobKeeper is welcomed, Business SA is urging the State and Federal Government to consider additional financial support measures for those businesses that remain materially impacted by restrictions on gatherings and events as well as international travel restrictions.” The Survey of Business Expectations results show that 94 per cent of tourism businesses are on JobKeeper – the highest percentage of any industry. Furthermore, 88 per cent of tourism businesses said that trade would remain below 70 per cent of pre-COVID-19 levels by September. Big Fish Events Group director Melissa Dunbar said the events sector was not able to adapt to the changed business environment, like some businesses have been able to, with COVID-19 restrictions making holding events initially impossible outside the virtual sphere. And with many corporate customers wary of committing to future events given the changeable nature of the crisis, the outlook remained perilous for her business and others like it. Ms Dunbar said it was important that the events sector was treated differently to domestic tourism providers, who were able to at least provide some services now. “We work across major events, through to business events and private,’’ she said. “The continuous change (in restrictions) causes the market to be really quite scared.’’ Ms Dunbar said many clients had decided to write off the year entirely, while others were keen to hold events but were wary of reputational issues, the legal ability to hold events if restrictions changed, and the safety of their attendees. Duxton’s innovations in the Hills More from Cameron England Ms Dunbar said ideas such as tax breaks were no use to an industry where there was no revenue coming in. “It’s more about if a bill is sent and there’s no cash, it’s not getting paid. “JobKeeper, and some sort of additional cash grant is one of the only practical things, with certainty, that will keep us here for 2021.’’ Big Fish usually employs 4 full-timers, with 12-15 causal staff depending on workload. Ahead of the release of its quarterly Survey of Business Expectations tomorrow, the business advocacy organisation’s chief executive Martin Haese said if these business are to survive, more support is necessary. “Event organisers, travel agents, inbound tour operators, event venues, live performance venues, hire businesses primarily linked to events, the arts sector, hospitality and accommodation providers in locations heavily reliant on international tourism such as Adelaide CBD and Kangaroo Island, all remain deeply impacted by ongoing COVID-19 restrictions,’’ he said. “For these businesses, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. “While the extension of JobKeeper is welcomed, Business SA is urging the state and federal government to consider additional financial support measures for those businesses that remain … impacted by restrictions on gatherings and events as well as international travel restrictions.” The Survey of Business Expectations results show that 94 per cent of tourism businesses are on JobKeeper – the highest percentage of any industry. Big Fish Events Group director Melissa Dunbar said the events sector was not able to adapt to the changed business environment, like some businesses have been able to, with COVID-19 restrictions making events impossible outside the virtual sphere.