Holidaymakers hoping to snap up one of the Victorian government’s $200 regional tourism vouchers still can’t apply after the website crashed within minutes of launching.
Registration for 40,000 travel vouchers opened online at 10am on Friday but the Business Victoria website was replaced with a white page reading “Internal server error”.
It was later restored but users cannot apply for the vouchers at present.
“We are currently experiencing a high demand on the website for the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme and have temporarily removed the ‘Apply now’ button to allow those currently registering to complete their application,” a notice read.
“We are working to resolve this as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.”
Victorians hoping to cash in on the $28 million scheme, announced as part of a $300 million state budget tourism package last month, took to social media to express frustration.
“Never get between a Melbournian and a freebee,” RMIT University associate professor Mark Gregory tweeted.
“What a mess!”
The ‘apply now’ button briefly appeared for some users about 11am but didn’t click through.
“Pretty pathetic. Lets (sic) me get to first page, I click confirm, then thrown out again. This is an absolute joke,” one wrote.
Opposition tourism spokeswoman Cindy McLeish labelled the launch a “complete flop”, suggesting the government had exposed form on failing to deliver IT projects.
“Industry insiders have told us 600,000 transactions should have been able to be done per minute,” she told reporters.
“Well, that didn’t happen because we saw minutes after it went live today the voucher system failed, leaving a lot of people really disappointed and exceptionally frustrated.”
Eligible destinations under the scheme include the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and the Bellarine, while households can apply even if their travel has already been booked.
“If those $200 vouchers mean people stay an extra night, maybe go to a local pub or restaurant. That’s all about wages and spending and investment,” Premier Daniel Andrews said on Thursday.
It comes as Victoria hit 42 days without a coronavirus case on Friday, following 9760 tests over the previous 24 hours.
No one in hotel quarantine has tested positive since international flights returned to the state earlier this week.
According to the state government, there are 571 international arrivals staying at quarantine hotels, including 44 people with symptoms or complex health needs at the Novotel “hot hotel” in South Wharf.
Some 220 returned travellers are due to arrive on Friday.