I can promise you that it's not a great time to have chosen travel writing as my main profession, but at least I don't have business overheads like rent or wages. Unfortunately the same can't be said for much of the travel industry, which has to make substantial investments in properties, vehicles, and staff that still need to be taken care of.

The economic shock of coronavirus is not limited to just one industry, but the travel industry was one of the first to be hit and it will be one of the last to recover. It's very likely that we'll be eating dinner at our favourite restaurants well before we are flying around the world again. And something that we normally celebrate about the Australian travel industry - that so much of it is comprised of small businesses - now makes it particularly vulnerable.

With this in mind, I reached out to different sectors of the local tourism industry to find out how badly they are being affected and, importantly, what people can do to help.

From small travel agents, the main message is to please postpone rather than cancel. Family-run company Majestic Whale Encounters takes guests on tours around the world to swim with whales. Director Sarah Cullen explains that it's important the company can keep its commitments to its suppliers.

"If our guests decide to cancel, the ripple and flow-on effect could be devastating," she says. "Not only for our small business but more importantly for the countries we visit like Tonga. Local villagers who will lose a year's salary and possibly long-term unemployment if the resorts are forced to fold."

At Eclipse Travel, a small specialist travel agency based in Sydney, the staff have been working hard the past few weeks to bring customers home. But now there are almost no new customers and marketing director Ben Janeczko says what would be really helpful is bookings for 2021.

"The best way our clients and the public in general can assist with this is to keep their holiday dream alive," he says. "After all, it gives us all something positive to focus on, and this will pass."

For small tour companies all across Australia, bookings have dried up. Passions of Paradise runs Great Barrier Reef tours that have gone from fully booked to cancelled in just days, but CEO Scott Garden says many of his 35 employees are trying to stay positive.

"Four of our crew including our two Master Reef Guides wanted to volunteer their time planting coral on the reef so we have given them the use of our catamaran Passions III and fuel for a couple of days," Scott says.

Sean Blocksidge has built a very successful small ecotourism business at Margaret River in WA that caters to just six guests per day. He can't see his business improving for at least si months and is looking for ways to get by in the short term.

"I've been taking high quality pictures of the Margaret River region over the years and I've always talked about one day making a book of images," he says. "I see that project as a real positive for me and hopefully some inspiration for people to visit once this 2020 rollercoaster ride is over."

Hotels are especially under threat because they often still have large outgoing costs. Best Western Apollo Bay Motel and Apartments on the Great Ocean Road was already doing it tough after the bushfires and has almost full vacancy at a time when it should be taking 120 bookings a week.

All owner Robyn Ritchie can do is look to the future. "Our message is #HolidayHereThisYear, in Australia, and book your accommodation directly with the motel rather than international online booking sites," she says. "This keeps much needed profits and taxes in Australia, supporting Australian jobs."

There is also an opportunity to support tourism businesses closer to home. While family-run East Hotel in the Canberra suburb of Kingston is still taking some room bookings, there's a new focus on delivery and takeaway from its restaurant, Agostinis Italian, to try to bring in extra revenue.

"This service has been designed to allow for fast and more affordable dining options for our loyal customers and provide an option for those who may find themselves isolated," says director Dan Bisa.

Keep in mind that you can also order delivery from across Australia of one of my favourite local products - wine!

At Pizzini Wines in Victoria's King Valley, the business would normally be a combination of events, cooking schools, accommodation, and cellar door sales but the winery's Natalie Pizzini says all of these elements have now closed.

"[Our] staff have been making contact with our wine club customers asking them if they would like to purchase any wine and we've seen great pick-up of that for the moment," Natalie says.

So, even if you're not in a position to book a 2021 overseas tour, perhaps think about supporting a local winery that you've visited recently. It may make self-isolation a bit more bearable.

Michael Turtle is a journalist who's been travelling the world for nine years. Follow his adventures at timetravelturtle.com