Friday 11 September

Long Term Tourism Strategy will be delivered

The number of international visitors to Australia remained steady in the three months to June as the government spoke of its “determination” to map out a long term strategy for the tourism industry.

Figures released yesterday by Tourism Australia showed 1.101 million people arrived in Australia in the June quarter, only 2,000 less than the corresponding period last year.  Visitor nights increased from 32 million to 34 million while spending climbed from $3 billion to $3.25 billion. In the year ending June 30, arrivals decreased 1% to 5.1 million.

Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said the June quarter figures bucked the global trend and compared favourably with the UK, Hawaii and Japan which saw arrivals fall 4%, 13% and 30% respectively.  The figures emerged as Ferguson delivered a speech to the Tourism and Transport Industry
Leadership Summit in which he pledged to use the Jackson Report as a springboard to reinvigorate the tourism industry.

He said a National Long Term Tourism Strategy will be delivered to increase “productivity and competitiveness” by focusing on regulatory reform, investment, labour and skills development, infrastructure and aviation access.  In addition, he said Tourism Australia will be “repositioned” to take a more active role in industry development while ways to improve product quality and innovation will also be addressed.

“The Government will continue to help your industry through what is a very difficult period with near-term stimulus measures and appropriate marketing,” Ferguson said. “And we will deliver a long term strategy for a robust, sustainable industry.” Ferguson said the strategy will be driven by the Tourism Ministers' Council.

Editors Comments - Is it my imagination or has Trade Minister Simon Crean's initiative to rebrand Australia last week jump started a little action from the Ministry of Tourism.  This could get interesting !