Canberra: Australia’s conservative government has announced a 76-million-dollar (52.3 million US dollars) tourism recovery package in response to the country’s devastating summer bush fires.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement on Sunday that Australian tourism was facing "its biggest challenge in living memory.” This first round of tourism aid will be taken from a 2-billion-dollar National Bushfire Recovery Fund, Morrison said.
Earlier this week, the government announced that 50 million dollars would also be used from the fund to help rescue and protect wildlife affected by the bush fires.  The impact of the Australian bush fires on the nation’s tourism sector will be at least 4.5 billion dollars by the end of the year, Sydney-based Australian Tourism Export Council, the peak industry body representing Australia’s 45-billion-dollar tourism sector, said. (DPA)