Australia unveils $928-million COVID-19 stimulus package for tourism industry

, slashed flights and put planes into hibernation while thousands of people across the industry became reliant on a federal government wage subsidy program, which expires this month.

"This program allows those people to stay connected with Qantas so we don't lose them...because when the borders open up, we need the capability to start as many flights as possible," Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said. The 50% subsidies on some 800,000 plane tickets will be focused on destinations that usually rely heavily on foreign tourists, including Alice Springs and Kangaroo Island, and will be available from April 1 until the end of July.

However, not all industry groups were happy with the support package, which also includes cheap 10-year loans for small tourism companies, many of which are struggling under mounting debt.

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