The federal government is subsidising half the cost of 800,000 eligible airfare tickets for domestic travellers as part of a $1.2 billion support package for the struggling tourism industry. The program, scheduled to run from April to July, is the next step in economic support for the tourism industry after JobKeeper ends in March. “This is our ticket to recovery,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement. “This package will take more tourists to our hotels and cafes, taking tours and exploring our backyard.” Qantas and Virgin both welcomed the news, with Qantas planning to put 550,000 total eligible tickets on sale during the period, or 32,000 per week. Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said for the scheme to work effectively, state governments need to co-operate by maintaining open borders. “The key things that we need now that the vaccine is rolling out is that we need state …