Federal government urged to add Albury to list of regional destinations in discounted flights program

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced last week flights would be subsidised to specific regional centres as part of a COVID tourism recovery package.

Indi MP Helen Haines is urging Tourism Minister Dan Tehan to add Albury to the list of destinations, noting the flow-on benefits it would have for North East Victoria.

"I am surprised it was left off, I think travelling to regional Australia is crucial," Dr Haines said.

"I sincerely call on Dan Tehan to put it in, in his next round."

Albury mayor Kevin Mack said he would be approaching federal government minister and Farrer MP Sussan Ley to have the Border included.

"For Mildura or Albury not to be considered is a big oversight," Cr Mack said.

"We'll be making representations to Sussan Ley and stating our case, but I do get frustrated that we have to state our case, given we have had 140 days locked down with border closures.

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"The Murray River region has been impacted doubly hard with the lockdowns and the public health orders."

Ms Ley told The Border Mail last week that the Border's tourism economy was fuelled more by visitors driving than flying.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack told ABC TV's Insiders show on Sunday that the destinations chosen were based on Austrade data reflecting the loss of international tourists to those places.

However, he said there was potential to add more locations and the scheme would be revisited over time.

On the same program, panellist and former Border Mail journalist Shane Wright pointed out Merimbula airport, the only NSW regional site in the government's program, each year draws 30,000 passengers, a figure much below other centres.

"Albury, one of my old stomping grounds, (has) 126,000....Mildura 120,000," Wright said.

"(There are a lot of places) getting far more people."

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