Upturn in Domestic Tourism

Peak national body Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) has welcomed National Visitor Survey (NVS) data for the December quarter 2009, which shows visitor nights for the quarter steady compared to the same period a year earlier.

TTF Executive Director Brett Gale said the global financial crisis had been tough on the sector, but was relieved to see that the worst is behind us.

Gale said travel was back on the agenda for Australians after the GFC and the major challenge was encouraging them to holiday at home rather than going overseas stating âinitially the global financial crisis curbed travel demand ⦠(but) as it became clear that our economy was still relatively strong, the dollar soared and Australians headed overseas in record numbers.

He explained "this hurt domestic tourism, so today's figures give us some optimism for the future after eight quarters of declining domestic tourism demand."

Gale also noted that the boom in outbound travel saw a dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of Australian tourismâs balance of trade, adding "in 2001-2, Australia was a net exporter of tourism to the tune of more than $4 billion dollars.

"In the current financial year, TTF projections show that Australia is likely to be a net importer of tourism by the same amount.

"Investing in new tourism infrastructure, products and experiences can play a key role in addressing this issue by not only attracting more international visitors to come here but also by convincing more Australians to holiday at home.

"This change will not happen overnight, and while the dollar remains strong, we understand that overseas travel becomes more affordable.

"So to get domestic tourism back on a growth track for the longer term, we need to offer tourists new experiences and premium services.

"There must also be investment in marketing and promotion to ensure Australians are aware of the great travel opportunities that exist in their own backyard.

"We look forward to ongoing involvement in the National Long-term Tourism Strategy, and to continuing government support for the $89 billion Australian tourism industry, which directly employs nearly half a million people, almost half in regional and rural areas."

17th December 2008 - TTF EXPECTS DOWNWARD TOURISM TREND TO CONTINUE