ATIC appoints tourism leader as Executive Director

The Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) has made a major strategic appointment with experienced tourism, aviation and corporate executive Simon Westaway becoming its Executive Director.

ATIC Chairman Evan Hall said the Board’s appointment of Westaway recognised his experience in the Australian visitor economy and achieving extensive and successful outcomes at a Federal and state and territory level over many years.

He will be tasked with ensuring ATIC supports a sustainable and growing Australian tourism sector as it looks to and beyond 2020.

Advising that Westaway would hit-the-ground running to keep the issues and opportunities of greatest importance to Australian tourism businesses front and centre with the Federal Government and Opposition, minor parties, relevant Departments and regulators, Hall advised “this is a strong appointment by ATIC as a leading voice for the Australian tourism industry.

“Australian tourism enterprises seek to be a true partner with Government and other key industry stakeholders. As such more collaborative work needs to be done as our mainly small business members now operate in a dynamic, continually disruptive and shifting economic environment.”

Hall said Westaway as a founding executive with Jetstar Airways and former senior executive at Tourism Australia had retained clear insights into Australian tourism’s current position, noting that his previous corporate and senior management experience with BHP and as a former chief executive of a national agri-political body had also brought a bipartisan approach as well as commercial and operational acumen including in regional and rural enterprise.

Hall added “he will bring impact and work with ATIC’s broad membership and help oversee major national tourism investments in their delivery including the Next Generation Australian Icons.”

Expressing his desire to work to bring about a more sustainable and resilient Australian tourism industry with greater shared benefits and maintain a respected voice, Westaway said record international tourist visitor numbers and financial tourism spend was endorsement of the long-term alignment among industry and governments in sound strategy, investment, marketing and Australia’s positioning in the dynamic Asia Pacific including China.

He noted “three quarters of our industry remains domestically driven, that is Australians travelling and experiencing Australia. Tourism is a pillar and the economic backbone in many regions today. This needs continued reinforcement in a policy and regulatory response.

“ATIC has a comprehensive policy platform supporting a sustainable, growing visitor economy for Australia. We are now calling for a reset of the Beyond Tourism 2020 Strategy that will unite our industry in striving for our new targets, create pathways for more effective engagement and prepare us to best respond to the opportunities and challenges ahead.

“As a collective the Australian tourism industry has been successful in achieving the aggressive growth targets identified under the initial ‘Tourism 2020 Strategy’. We need to leverage this momentum in order to achieve significant outcomes over the next decade as well.”

Westaway takes on the role with immediate effect.

ATIC is the national representative body of Australia’s state and territory tourism industry councils. ATIC’s membership is the largest and most diverse within Australian tourism, representing over 8000 small, medium and large tourism businesses nationwide with a forward looking agenda for effective policy outcomes, meaningful advocacy and continued action for our industry.