The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) is throwing its support behind a social media initiative by one of its member agents to encourage Australians to get vaccinated ASAP.

Linda Forster, a mobile travel agent and cruise specialist in the Mornington Peninsula’s Langwarrin, got in touch with AFTA offering to coordinate a call-out to agents and businesses getting vax ready to be travel-ready.

Last year, Forster, who runs TravLin Travel, created a video underlining the impact of COVID-19 on travel agents which quickly went viral, clocking more than 8,000 views on YouTube.

She is also the brains behind this fantastic meme and this impassioned plea for government action.

AFTA has also been pushing for increased vaccination rates its media releases, interviews and government lobbying over the past several months using the hashtags #GetTravelReady, #BeTravelReady and #VaxReady.

Forster’s campaign calls on AFTA members to upload short videos to AFTA’s Vloggi site where they will be edited together to create a chorus of tailored videos for social, media and lobbying.

“We need as many AFTA members as possible to get behind this #VaxReady #BeTravelReady campaign,” Forster said.

“All you need to do is follow the very simple instructions on AFTA’s Vloggi site to add your voice and face and help us encourage as many Australians as possible to get vaccinated, whilst also using the opportunity to remind them that we as travel industry professionals are keen to get them travel-ready.

“I’m getting my second jab shortly and will be submitting my video contribution as a result. It’s not only about helping keep our community and those we love safe as well as protecting ourselves, it’s also about getting Australia to that all-important threshold of 80 per cent vaccinated so that we can get back to travelling lockdown free and further afield outside our own country!”

AFTA Chair Tom Manwaring said the lobby group welcomes suggestions, ideas and feedback from its members.

“Linda’s suggestion that she could co-ordinate and replicate her very impactful video from last year was a great one, especially as it fits so nicely with the work already underway here at AFTA,” he said.

“AFTA has been working with a much smaller team for an extended period of time and we certainly appreciate Linda’s contribution.

“Vloggi is a powerful platform which will allow us to create and tailor our members’ videos to push home the need to be #VaxReady #BeTravelReady and, even more importantly, share tailored versions directly with the public, government and the media.”

AFTA members can become part of the campaign HERE.

Featured image source: iStock/andresr