New $200 travel vouchers will tomorrow be made available for Victorians to visit and stay in Melbourne and experience all that the country’s most vibrant city has to offer.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula today announced the Melbourne Travel Voucher Scheme would open at 10:00am on Friday, 12 March.

Some 40,000 vouchers will be available through the scheme, which will deliver critical support to accommodation providers, attractions, and experiences across the metropolitan area as the city continues its steady recovery from the significant impacts of the global pandemic.

The vouchers will be valid for travel in an eight-week window – from 19 March to 16 May.

Based on the experience of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme, the vouchers are expected to be fully subscribed within minutes – with successful applicants able to use their voucher for travel in 26 local government areas across greater Melbourne. The Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges, Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula are excluded as they are part of the regional scheme.

To access the vouchers, visitors must spend $400 or more on accommodation, attractions or experiences, and must spend a minimum of two nights in paid accommodation.

Applications are open to Victorian residents aged 18 or over. Households are limited to one voucher from the Melbourne Travel Voucher Scheme and one voucher from the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme.

The Melbourne and regional schemesare part of the Labor Government’s $465 million Victorian Tourism Recovery Package to support the sector in its bounce back after the dual impacts of bushfires and coronavirus.

Victorians secured 110,000 vouchers valued at $200 in the first two releases of the regional scheme, including 40,000 vouchers currently valid for travel up to 1 April. Some 52,000 claimants in the first round of the regional scheme spent an estimated $85 million across Victoria, bolstering businesses and jobs.

Building on this success, a new $10 million investment was announced as part of the recent Circuit Breaker Support Package, adding 10,000 regional vouchers and the 40,000 vouchers for travel in greater Melbourne.

Registrations for 50,000 vouchers available in the third round of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme will open on Tuesday, 30 March.

For more information on the Melbourne Travel Voucher Scheme and to apply on Friday, go to vic.gov.au/melbourne-travel-voucher-scheme.