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Industry body representing travel agents collected video messages to secure assistance package
OVERVIEW
Client: The Australian Federation of Travel Agents Limited (AFTA)
Project: National mobilisation for COVID relief 2021
Type: Video advocacy campaign
Summary: In order to bolster its case for government assistance after an enforced industry closure, AFTA collected its members’ views in video clips to present to decision makers in Canberra.
ABOUT AFTA
The Australian Federation of Travel Agents Limited (AFTA) is the peak body for Australia’s travel agents, with its office located on Market Street, Sydney and represents the majority of travel agents in Australia. Founded in 1957, AFTA’s aim has been to stimulate, encourage and promote travel, and to uphold the interests of travel agents who form a vital part of Australia’s highly specialised travel and tourism industry
In March 2020, the Australian travel industry was effectively shut down, due to international and internal border closures. The entire industry of selling travel was devastated and needed urgent government support. Australian travel agencies have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic as 70% of international travel in Australia was booked through travel agents. After initial federal assistance, the industry was not able to reopen in 2021 along with other retail.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, AFTA was not able to take affected agents to Canberra to help lobby its case for financial assistance. The association needed a quick and reliable way of gathering the voices of its members on video.
AFTA used Vloggi to collect video submissions from its member agencies across Australia. The communications team set a simple brief for agents to tell their story of loss, as well as propose solutions. The platform captured each agent's name, agency name and location for display as video graphics.
The federation also collected crucial data from agents, such as in which federal electorate their agency sat and their membership number. These data were not displayed on the final video, but were used to triage submissions and send to the relevant member of parliament. Marginal seats were prioritised in the publishing of video submissions.
AFTA ran a national mobilisation campaign across Australia during July and August 2021 in which affected agents could participate in a number of ways from letter writing to reaching out to their local media. Video submissions were added to this campaign and over 25% of those reaching the video upload landing page went on to submit videos.
AFTA packaged the videos together and presented to members of parliament and decision makers in Australian capital, Canberra. The result was the COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program (Round One), that gave travel agents access to A$130 million in relief funding to pay employees, rent and keep businesses open while they processed refunds for consumers. Subsequent rounds of government assistance have also been secured.
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