Tourism at the top in Asian century

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has clearly identified Asia as a part of Australia's economic growth strategy over the next 10 years with the services sector forming the cornerstone of Australia's export engagement with its regional markets.

As Australia's largest services export, contributing $35 billion to the economy, Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) Managing Director, Felicia Mariani highlights that tourism is a key industry that can lead the growth in services exports to Asia and that Australia must fully engage the opportunities in the region over the next decade.

Mariani explains "China has become our fastest growing tourism market and clearly there must be significant focus on the tourism sector and its growing capacity and attractiveness to Asia, in fully engaging the opportunities in the region over the next decade.

"It is important to recognise the significant contribution the services sector makes to the buoyancy of economies around the world and it is time Australia acknowledges the importance of the sector broadly and tourism specifically in its economic contribution."

Referencing the Prime Minister's speech to the Asia Society and the Economic Club in New York this week, delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister, Bob Carr, Mariani said the value of the tourism industry was too frequently overlooked by our leaders.

She added "I am pleased to see reference to tourism in the Prime Minister's speech and an acknowledgment that our industry has made a long-standing contribution to our economy and will continue to underpin the ebbs and flows of other, more transient opportunities.

"Mining has stolen the lime-light in recent times - we are now seeing a natural slow-down in its meteoric rise - and the Prime Minister's speech finally acknowledges it as simply part of the whole'.

"Australia is able to export so much more than natural resources and tourism is one of the significant opportunities we need to grasp hold of."

In January this year, the US President Barack Obama, issued an Executive Order laying out a strategy to better utilise tourism as a contributor to the American economy. It currently stands as that nation's largest service export industry and is growing by an average of $1.1 billion a month.

Mariani concluded "the United States has clearly recognised the success of the tourism industry as a catalyst to kick starting their economy and they are already seeing significant gains.

"It is imperative that Australia also puts the necessary emphasis and focus on the tourism industry and other service sector industries in helping to maintain our prosperity and build an export base that is strong, multi-dimensional and sustainable.

"As the PM points out, we must use today's success to drive tomorrow's prosperity and that lies in offering a diverse range of export capacity."

For more information go to https://www.atec.net.au/