Murray Regional Tourism, North East Tourism and nine other Victorian industry boards jointly wrote to Tourism Minister Dan Tehan expressing 'deep disappointment' that Avalon was the only Victorian destination included in the $1.2 billion Tourism Aviation Support Network Program.

The letter, signed by Murray Regional Tourism's Mark Francis and Tourism North East's Bess Nolan-Cook, called for Albury, Mildura, Bendigo and Tullamarine airports to be added into the initiative.

The organisations highlighted the border region was one of the hardest hit in Australia as it was ravaged by repeated border closures, COVID restrictions and the Black Summer bushfires.

"[The] Murray Region has been decimated by COVID-19 and subsequent border closures with the region directly impacted for over 41 weeks in the past 12 months - more than any other destination in Australia," Murray Tourism wrote.

"Air access and our regional airports of Mildura and Albury are critical to the regions recovery and are responsible for driving over 39 per cent of all international overnight visitors and nearly 25 per cent of domestic overnight visitors to the Murray region."

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Tourism North East told Mr Tehan the visitor economy was a critical in Victoria's High Country with the Black Summer bushfires and COVID pandemic resulting in losses of $1.5 billion in 2020.

The organisation said there were more than 1500 tourism operators in the North East which in 2019, supported about 27 per cent of the region's employment.

Member for Indi Helen Haines separately wrote to Minister Tehan arguing the Riverina and North East had been through drought, bushfires and border closures, and as a gateway to the region, Albury Airport should be added to the scheme.

"Inexplicably, our region was excluded from the $100 million Regional Recovery Partnerships program designed to support regions affected by these three crises," she wrote.

"And yet again, the government has overlooked our region in another economic recovery package."

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