Page 2010 - Week 07 - Thursday, 17 June 1993
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One infrastructural problem I have observed is the location of the tourism information centre in Dickson. It would appear to be in a most inappropriate position. It has inadequate parking and, without a slip-lane to access and exit the centre, I suggest that it presents a serious potential traffic hazard. Tourists probably drive past the centre before realising that it is there. The information centre can play a crucial role in the quest to entice tourists to stay longer in the ACT and the region. It is therefore important that it should have a more high profile presentation and that it should be easily accessible and have adequate parking. The committee expressed concern about the effectiveness of the tourism information centre, and recommends that this matter be considered in discussion on the siting of a transit centre.
It is incongruous that the airport in the national capital does not have international status. Quite apart from tourists, we are continually receiving significant numbers of delegations to this city, and it must be a great source of frustration to these visitors to have to set down in either Melbourne or Sydney before travelling on to Canberra. Quite frankly, it presents a Mickey Mouse image of our country and, more particularly, our national capital. It is even more significant in terms of tourism when it is considered that the ACT and, indeed, the region are unique in what they offer. With these important considerations in mind, the committee recommends that the ACT Government consult with the Federal Government with a view to obtaining agreement for customs and immigration facilities to be provided at the Canberra Airport on a permanent basis, to meet charter flights and with a view to upgrading Canberra Airport to an international airport.
One of the perennial problems impacting on tourism to the ACT and the region has been the need to complete the Federal Highway and to upgrade the Kings Highway. Without doubt, the condition of those two roads hampers the growth of tourism in this region. It is essential for the ACT Government to find a way of breaking the stalemate with the Federal and State governments and to open the way for tourism to flourish. The committee recommends that the Government take up these and other road issues in the region as a matter of priority. The committee report addresses the importance of expanding tourism in the ACT and the region. This is a question not only of creating new attractions, which would be welcome, but also of drawing attention to the existing features of the ACT and the region that are unique and interesting. It was put to the committee that tourists are attracted by things that are different and by new cultural experiences.
The committee highlights the need for cooperative arrangements between the ACT and New South Wales governments and the shires and the industry. There is a big gap in the tourism calendar in the ACT during the winter months, and the committee recommends that the Tourism Commission include programs for attracting visitors to Canberra at this time. The committee also looked at the question of creating a friendlier approach for ethnic community groups visiting Canberra by providing interpreting services. A very successful award-winning tourism enterprise in Canberra, Hire A Guide, already provides such a service.
On the important matter of promotion and marketing, the committee noted that most industry submissions considered that the Tourism Commission's marketing budget was inadequate for a highly competitive industry. However, the question of who should pay and by what means is canvassed in the report. In essence, the committee recognises that industry self-help and joint marketing arrangements
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