Govts urged to recognise tourism growth
A sharp rise in the amount of money spent in Australia by overseas visitors should act as a springboard for additional investment in tourism from federal and state governments, according to lobby groups.
The Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) called for budget increases after figures revealed that international tourists spent almost $29 billion in Australia last year, a rise of 6% on 2012.
Faster visa processing was also required to ease the passage of entry into Australia, the TTF said.
The comments came after Tourism Australia said it continues to track “at the lower end” of its target to double overnight visitor expenditure to between $115b and $140b by 2020.
“A strong visitor economy will create even more employment and investment opportunities in a number of sectors including accommodation, hospitality, retail and entertainment,” TTF chief executive Ken Morrison said.
“With state and federal budgets to be handed down in the coming weeks, TTF is seeking an increased commitment from governments to support the visitor economy which performs so strongly for Australia.”
Continued tourism growth depends on “world class product development, investment and innovation” that will set Australia apart from the rest of the world, Morrison added.
In addition to calls for more investment, he said the TTF would seek to cut the time, cost and complexity of visa applications, particularly for Asian visitors “who are among the biggest spenders”.
ATEC has also appealed for the visa process to be streamlined. Last month chief executive John King described the process as “onerous and in some cases demeaning”.
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