Hard work ahead as tourism spending in Australia exceeds $100 billion

Australia’s tourism industry has reinforced its claim to be the nation’s next super-growth industry, with figures released this week showing that domestic and international tourists spent more than $100 billion here last year.

However, tourism advocacy group the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) warns that growth will only be maintained by continued investment in new tourism product, improvements in visitor infrastructure and ongoing commitment to original and engaging tourism marketing.

While welcoming the National Visitor Survey, released this week for the year ending December 2016, which showed that domestic visitors spent $61 billion on tourism at home, while the recently-released International Visitor Survey showed overseas tourists spent $39.1 billion in Australia – a collective increase of $5.6 billion over the previous year, TTF Chief Executive Margy Osmond cautions “tourism has always been a core and critical industry in Australia.

“But now, as other key industries slow, the rise of tourism is more important than ever before to national employment and to economic growth.”

Osmond welcomed the news from the National Visitor Survey that states and territories had achieved double-digit growth in visitor nights and visitor numbers over the past three years, and urged continued investment in new tourism product and marketing, to ensure that the growth continued.

She stated “we can’t afford to switch to cruise control, now that we’ve reached the magical 100 billion dollar mark.

“With international markets growing, particularly China and greater Asia, we now have much bigger opportunities than ever before, but also much bigger challenges of building our visitor economy in the face of fierce competition from other markets.”

Osmond said there was a particular need for luxury product, particularly accommodation of fivestar and higher quality, to meet the growing demand from Asia for ‘high-end’ holiday experiences.

Investment in infrastructure such as transport and public Wi-Fi access, and clever marketing is also essential to ensure that Australia’s offering stands out among competing global tourism campaigns.  Osmond said separate, clear marketing was particularly important for the Queensland tourism industry, following this week’s devastating cyclone in the Whitsunday region.

Osmond concluded “the Whitsundays are an integral part of Queensland’s, and Australia’s, national tourism product, and it is important that as the region returns to normal - as it will - this message is conveyed clearly and broadly, to entice visitors back as soon as possible.

“But there is also the immediate need to communicate clearly to those with existing holiday bookings, as well as those considering holidays, that the damage is confined to one area, and that the rest of Queensland is still very much open for business.”

Images: Margy Osmond (top) and Cyclone Debbie from the air earlier this week (below)

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29th March 2017 - QUEENSLAND TOURISM INDUSTRY RALLIES FOLLOWING CYCLONE DEBBIE

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