Travel agent support 'unfair' south-west business says

It comes amid reports that Australia's international border could remain closed for most of this year.

Warrnambool's Helloworld Travel owner Nic Bolden said suggestions the border could stay closed this year did not surprise him but showed significant support was required.

"There is a relief set up for the travel industry and it's a disgrace," Mr Bolden said.

The federal government offered one-off grants to travel agents under a consumer travel support program from December, but Mr Bolden said the program lacked fairness.

He said the support was based on a business' 2019 calendar year and eligibility was calculated based on accounting methods that could have differed between agents.

Mr Bolden said eligibility was based on financial information he submitted to the government before the coronavirus that now could not be changed.

"What it means is three identical agencies can get different amounts back from the government," Mr Bolden said.

"The government says it is working on fixing it but has done nothing since December. They've had six weeks to provide a relatively simple solution and haven't done it."

Mr Bolden said he had lodged an application but was yet to receive relief.

"It's already too late because some agencies have already been paid," he said. "If the private sector set up something like this and sold it to the public we would be fined."

The Warrnambool travel agent is down 110 per cent this financial year, Mr Bolden said, with international travel "dead".

"We've had a couple of people who are moving back to England for example, a couple of people wanting to take a compassionate flight, sadly you have to almost talk them out of taking it because they might not be able to get back into Australia," he said.

"We will have to reassess based on what the JobKeeper situation is at the end of March, whether there's industry targeted extensions, or whether we have to look at hibernating."

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