AusLeisure

Australia Tourism Minister Dan Tehan has today unveiled a draft proposed strategy to manage Australia’s visitor economy through to 2030.

Unveiled today, THRIVE2030 - National visitor economy strategy (The Re-Imagined Visitor Economy) consultation draft, sets out a long-term national plan to rebuild and return Australia's visitor economy to long-term sustainable growth.

Including actions for governments and industry, the draft proposed strategy results from the Federal Government's Reimagining the Visitor Economy Expert Panel, led by former Australian Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson.

Tasked with providing advice to the Government to “help drive the economic recovery of the tourism industry and ensure its long-term success” and in doing so undertook extensive consultation to identify problems, barriers, ideas and solutions”, the Expert Panel's draft strategy is now open for, what it describes as, "focused feedback on the strategy’s proposed actions and further ideas on actions to address the policy priorities in the strategy".

Introducing the process, Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Dan Tehan advised “Australia’s recovery from COVID-19 is gathering pace, with travel restrictions continuing to ease and we prepare to welcome back visitors from Japan and South Korea.

“Prior to COVID-19, the visitor economy was Australia’s fourth largest export sector, valued at $166 billion and directly employing more than 600,000 people.

“Australia is still a leading international tourist destination, with world-class experiences, passionate tourism operators, highly-skilled workers and top-quality education providers.

“The (Federal) Government is working with the sector to ensure our tourism industry is set up to succeed over the coming decade, and that’s why our Government commissioned a panel of experts, led by former Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson to develop a strategy for enhancing the visitor economy.

“The panel consulted extensively across sectors and identified three key ingredients for the future success of Australia’s visitor economy: the need to diversify markets and products, modernise business practices, and collaborate more closely.

“I invite tourism operators, state and territory governments and impacted sectors to have their say on the proposed THRIVE 2030 strategy to help make our sector even stronger.

“I’d like to thank the panel members for their deep commitment to this process, which has been well-received across the industry."

Minister Tehan went on outline Federal Government support to the tourism industry  as it recovers from the impact of COVID-19 and state border closures.

He highlighted more than $20 billion in support – most of it in cash – having flowed to the tourism sector, through JobKeeper, the Cash Flow Boost and targeted sectoral support programs since the start of the pandemic.

In addition, the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund has included tourism specific measures such:

• $94.6 million for the Supporting Australia's Exhibiting Zoos and Aquariums program
• $50 Million for the Business Events Grants program ($50 million)

As well as

• $258 million for travel agents through the COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program.
• $185 million for Tourism Australia to ramp-up domestic marketing campaigns, including the successful Holiday Here This Year campaign

Appendix 1 of the strategy contains the Summary of Strategy Priority Actions and respondents are being asked to answer the following questions about these seven policy priorities:

• What are the top three actions you would prioritise to help the industry recover and grow?
• Are there additional actions that could be considered? Please outline the actions and suggest who would deliver them.
• Are there any actions that you would not support? If so, why?
• Are there any actions you suggest are done differently? Please outline them.
• Are there any government or industry programs you have observed as successful in addressing the 7 priority areas? These can be past or present, local, state, territory, federal government or industry programs.
• Are there existing resources that could drive outcomes?

Respondents can send their feedback to visitoreconomy@austrade.gov.au with ‘Draft Strategy feedback’ in the subject line, with submissions closing at 5pm on 23rd December 2021.

Click here to download the consultation draft.

Images: Australian tourism icon Uluru (top, credit: Aaron Collins) and Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Dan Tehan (below).

Related Articles

24th November 2021 - Two-day National Tourism and Hospitality Virtual Jobs Fair starts today

23rd November 2021 - ATEC highlights skill shortages to present challenges when international tourism recommences

22nd November 2021 - Stakeholders release South Australian Arts and Cultural Tourism Strategy

21st November 2021 - WTTC report reveals tourism industry in Asia Pacific region set to recover by nearly 40%

18th November 2021 - TTF Federal Leadership Summit to focus on tourism’s political prospects

15th November 2021 - Best in Tourism Celebrated at Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards

13th November 2021 - Outback operators secure nine awards at 2021 QTIC Queensland Tourism Awards

10th November 2021 - South Australian Government funding to activate nature and heritage-based tourism initiatives

8th November 2021 - Outback Queensland Tourism Association looks to maintain visitation rise

29th October 2021 - Tourism and Transport Forum advise skills shortage hinders industry recovery

29th October 2021 - Rod Hillman announces his resignation as Ecotourism Australia Chief Executive

25th October 2021 - Australian Regional Tourism receives funding for National Agritourism Development Program

21st October 2021 - Looking back on the UN Year of Sustainable Tourism

20th October 2021 - ATEC highlights that tourism needs clear date for international reopening

19th October 2021 - Tourism and Transport Forum welcomes announcement on Queensland border reopening

11th August 2021 - Australian Tourism Industry Council delivers three-point tourism, events and hospitality plan to recover from lockdowns

27th May 2021 - Australian Tourism Export Council calls for Prime Minister for roadmap to open borders

12th May 2021 - Uncertainty for Australian tourism following Treasurer Frydenberg’s Federal budget

19th March 2021 - Australian tourism adds 58,000 jobs since June 2020

19th March 2021 - 2021 Australian Tourism Exchange to return as hybrid event in June

30th January 2021 - Australian tourism industry unites to call for post-March Federal Government business support

26th January 2021 - Report asks if Australian tourism industry can be insured?

21st January 2021 - Australian tourism industry haemorrhaged almost $7 billion over the summer holidays

16th November 2020 - Australian Tourism Industry Council urges Prime Minister to take on tourism

19th October 2020 - ATEC expands its program supporting Australian tourism exporters to attract domestic visitors

16th June 2020 - Australian tourism suffers 99.7% fall in international arrivals

26th May 2020 - Australian tourism industry requires ‘complete overhaul’ to succeed

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.