Australian tourism on track to boost visitor spend to $140billion by 2020

IN SPITE of the high Australian dollar, the Australian tourism industry seems to be on track to meet its aim of increasing overnight visitor spending to between $115 billion and $140 billion by 2020. 

That official assessment was relayed to the Australian Tourism Directions Conference in Canberra last week by Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb, who said the new Federal Government recognised the huge challenges the industry still faced, including cost-of-labour challenges compared with rival markets.

As part of its Tourism 2020 plan, last week the government launched its new Tourism Employment Plan Guide and a new Tourism Employment Plan Advisory Service.

Mr Robb also congratulated the industry on achieving an average international visitor spend that was already more than three times the global average.

Mr Robb announced plans to attract more international investment to the sector and said early government moves to scrap the Carbon Tax and freeze the Passenger Movement Charge were just the start in a range of initiatives that will ultimately make the tourism industry more competitive.

"The government is committed to creating the right operating environment for the tourism sector by freezing the Passenger Movement Charge, scrapping the Carbon Tax and helping employers find workers with the right skills," Mr Robb told the Australian Tourism Directions Conference.

"I plan to attract more international investment, create more jobs and strengthen Australia's prosperity.

"Our role in government is to support tourism businesses to do what they do best by creating the right operating environment," he said.

"Tourism is important to the Australian economy. It is worth $107 billion, directly employs more than half a million Australians and is our largest services industry export, earning $26 billion a year.

"Freezing the Passenger Movement Charge will provide certainty for the tourism industry and allow it to focus on developing new high quality products that will drive demand.

"Abolishing the Carbon Tax will save the industry money and provide tourism businesses with more capacity to develop more world class experiences," Mr Robb said.

To help industry overcome regional labour and skill shortages in tourism, the Federal Government launched the Tourism Employment Plan Guide and a new Tourism Employment Plan Advisory Service.

Mr Robb said the Tourism Employment Guide would provide regions with a blueprint for how to address their unique labour and skills issues, while the Tourism Employment Plan Advisory Service would ensure regions had enough support to help find solutions that work best for them.

http://www.tourism2020.gov.au/

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