A wonky website was a safe bet for the many Tasmanians attempting to claim some of the state government's travel vouchers on Monday morning.
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Premier Peter Gutwein insisted the site didn't crash, but it was certainly slow.
Beyond that initial rush in demand it was less predictable that the $7.5 million program would be fully subscribed in under 40 minutes, with many left disappointed.
An initiative as unprecedented as the crisis that prompted it, the government seems not to have set its sights so very high.
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There was even talk beforehand of people being able to apply to the program again after redeeming their first vouchers.
On Monday afternoon, Mr Gutwein was all smiles when he gave the figures - about 21,500 vouchers to be issued, 550 a minute before the well ran dry.
"The demand has been far in excess of what we thought it would be," he said, hailing it as a success.
RELATED STORY: What people think about the travel vouchers
That perspective will not be shared by everyone, with attitudes likely shaped by whether the individual is set to benefit.
But there's a mistake many have been making when it comes to government attempts to stimulate our COVID-hit economy. That is, it's not about who gets the money first, but where it ends up.
This program is not about rewarding Tasmanians with a free - or, really, subsidised - holiday; it's about supporting the devastated hospitality and tourism sector.
It's about jobs.
If pandemic restrictions put tourism into an induced coma, the vouchers are an attempt to help get it breathing again.
It's hard to say if it will work, or if we could somehow measure the outcomes.
The massive demand, however, gives confidence that Tasmanians want to spend money holidaying at home - even if they'd like at least some of it not to be their own.
And confidence is important in a community where we are still hearing of events being cancelled, and otherwise worrying about the impact of this recession.
So, while disappointing for those who missed out, the rush for travel vouchers was a great way to start the week.
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