Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
  • Home New
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Friday, July 4
Breaking News
  • E-bike rider charged following fatal collision in Hastings
Facebook X (Twitter)
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
Breaking News
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»COVID-19»Agents zoom in to press their case
COVID-19

Agents zoom in to press their case

By Stephen TaylorSeptember 28, 2020Updated:April 20, 2021No Comments2 Mins Read
Fellow travellers: Mornington Travel’s Lee Midson says agents are “all trying to navigate their way through a challenging situation”. Picture: Yanni
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

MORNINGTON Peninsula travel agents held a zoom meeting with Flinders MP Greg Hunt last week to discuss their struggles under the pandemic and to seek tailored financial support.

The “gathering of the troops” was arranged by Mornington Travel principal Lee Midson, Thursday 24 September.

The 30 agents – all members of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents – are seeking federal and state government support for a $125 million travel agent support package “given the travel downturn and refund backlog”.

They briefed Mr Hunt on the “critical” need for financial aid for their businesses, which “are all locally owned and all employing local people”.

“Retail travel agencies like mine are overwhelmingly small businesses,” Ms Midson said. “The majority handle international travel services which can account for 75-95 per cent of gross sales.”

While all the agents are on JobKeeper, and thankful for any stimulus for jobs, Ms Midson said they were all “working harder than ever”.

“It’s critical that we stay open [because] it can take longer to cancel and try to obtain refunds for our clients on flights, cruises and in hotels than it was to make the original bookings,” she said.

“Agents have to be on the case every day… there’s hours of constant monitoring [yet] we are unable to generate income due to the travel restrictions and domestic and international border closures.”

The agents told Mr Hunt federal government support was “essential” to help them help their customers into 2021.

“Mr Hunt got it,” said Ms Midson, who has lived on the peninsula for 30 years. “He understood where we were coming from and urged us to continue actively pushing the importance of our sector. While he said he can’t promise anything he’s on the expenditure review committee and that will help.”

The agents expect the first international borders to open will likely be New Zealand and the Pacific region. The uncertainty is causing problems: “Without a known date it’s impossible for agents to make future bookings,” Ms Midson said. This is preventing their earning commissions on sales.

“We need our domestic borders to be open so that, hopefully, future demand for domestic travel can help kick start a recovery in the travel and tourism industry.”

First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 29 September 2020

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Now is not the time to end COVID tests

December 12, 2022

Pandemic’s ‘pathway’ to comfort

August 15, 2022

Caution urged over ‘respiratory’ season

July 18, 2022

Post-lockdown help offer for families

March 15, 2022
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Peninsula Essence Magazine – Click to Read
Peninsula Kids Magazine – Click to Read
Letters to the Editor
Property of the Week

14 Bass Street, McCrae

June 3, 2025
Council Watch

Shire secures $3.9m to tackle road safety

June 16, 2025

Kinder flyer flag snub prompts councillors to take over

June 10, 2025
100 Years Ago This Week

Baxter – On The ‘Wallaby’ with a walking group

July 1, 2025
Interview

Firefighter shows skills from sea to snow

February 5, 2024
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook X (Twitter)
© 2025 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.