Page 271 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 31 May 1989
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Canberra due not only to greatly improved product through the development of world class hotel and conference facilities but also to the rising cost of air transport. Companies are no longer prepared to travel vast distances to hold their conference. With a 2,500-seat convention centre due to open in early August, Canberra has the opportunity to become established as Australia's leading convention destination.
To ensure that we maximise our potential for tourism growth, we need to look to control and guide future development of our tourism infrastructure. We must minimise any adverse impact on the ACT's environment.
There are a number of areas offering potential for growth. Our rural surrounds and national parks offer world class outdoor recreation and leisure facilities. Whilst identifying these areas for future growth from a tourism perspective, the Labor Government will be mindful of the need to maintain the ACT's unique environment. The historical significance of Canberra and surrounding villages should not be underplayed. The completion of the National Museum will be a giant step forward for tourism development. The ACT Government will work with community groups to ensure that the Federal Government is made aware of how important this project is for the Territory.
The most important area for future development lies in the entertainment field. Canberra has seen an outstanding growth across the board in tourism infrastructure, particularly by the five-star end of the market with the Hyatt, Pavilion and Capital Parkroyal hotels coming on stream and the $4m refurbishment to the Lakeside Hotel. These developments will be complemented by the opening of the convention centre. In order that these facilities realise their full potential Canberra must improve its entertainment bases. The completion of the section 19 development, with a casino and theatre complex, will be a great step forward in this area.
Convention delegates are a very lucrative source of revenue for the tourism industry, spending on average three times the daily rate of other visitors. Behind adequate facilities, with which Canberra is now well equipped, professional conference organisers rate access to entertainment as a high priority in determining a venue. A Tasmanian visitors survey conducted in 1978 showed that 53 per cent of all visitors to Tasmania visited the casino. The addition of the casino has increased the strength of the Tasmanian product, as indicated by the 17 per cent increase in visitor numbers in the first year of operation, followed by 27 per cent in the subsequent 12 months. The casinos have also proved a valuable tool in encouraging the development of package holidays. Both airlines and tour operators could sell casino packages which would be marketed independently, thus increasing the national exposure of the ACT.
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