Tourism grinding to a halt

Escalating fuel costs and a soaring dollar is threatening to significantly impact the tourism industry's contribution to Australia's export performance, according to Australia's peak inbound tourism industry body.

Australian Tourism Export Council Managing Director Matthew Hingerty said that the intersection of high fuel costs and a high dollar is a threat to many small tourism businesses to the wall this year.

Hingerty said that the Rudd Government's first Budget and a number of other policy decisions in areas such as tax had placed further pressure on the industry at the worst possible time.