ATEC spotlights need for budget boost to help in recovery of Australia’s inbound tourism

The Australian Tourism Export Council has spotlighted the need for a supportive Federal Budget to help industry businesses ensure Australia remains competitive as a global tourism destination.

ATEC Managing Director, Peter Shelley notes "while international visitor numbers are slowly improving, a year into open borders and inbound visitor numbers are still well down on 2019 figures with members telling us a full recovery is still at least 12-18 months away.

“The Federal Budget needs to support our industry to recover and apply all possible efforts to ensure a return to pre pandemic international visitor numbers and spend. 

ATEC’s pre-budget submission calls for specific measures to help drive and support a recovering industry including: 

• Increasing the budget for Tourism Australia as our inbound marketing agency responsible for driving demand, creating leads and building future visitation

• Freezing any additional taxes and charges on international visitors to ensure Australia remains a competitive travel destination

• Reforming visa policy to encourage greater visitation including reducing working holiday maker visa fees, the introduction of a cost effective ‘family visa’ category for specific countries, negotiating the return of Approved Destination Visa product and commissioning a visa benchmarking study to ensure Australia's global competitiveness

• Funding to support export capability training for tourism businesses across regional Australia

• Increasing funding for the Export Market Development Grants scheme – a proven net-positive program driving export success 

ATEC is also supportive of calls to hold the price of Australia’s Passenger Movement Charge (currently $60 per person) and calls on the Federal Government to protect the industry from further increases to the comparatively high fee.

Shelley adds “The PMC is yet another disincentive for international visitors to travel to Australia at a time when we need to remove any impediment which may cause the intending traveller to choose an alternative destination. 

“ATEC has long advocated for a minimal PMC charge and for that charge to be fed back to support the development and growth of Australia’s highly valuable tourism industry, much like surcharges and taxes which contribute to the development of other Australian export industries.

“As we head into another budget, and another year of our industry’s rebuild, we trust the Federal Government will continue to be supportive of Australian tourism exporters and its future growth and contribution to our country’s economy.”