Page 3068 - Week 09 - Thursday, 21 September 2006
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spend a significant amount of money in their travels. There has been material published since the early 1990s that reinforces that.
My final point about the importance of the backpacker market is that they tend to visit an average of six tourism regions in their travels. Whilst the majority of the most popular destinations are traditional holiday spots in Queensland and Byron Bay, backpackers have a greater propensity for staying in regional and non-traditional holiday spots than any other types of travellers. This suggests they are willing to travel to places that they perceive to be interesting and fun. For the ACT to increase its share of this market, we must focus energy and resources on portraying this image.
Another point that I wish to make about tourism in the limited time I have available concerns the role of national institutions situated in Canberra. The National Capital Authority and others have said lately that national institutions are right in focusing on promoting and attracting visitors to themselves rather than Canberra. I believe that at present the top of the mind motivation for those that choose to visit Canberra is not necessarily to visit national institutions. This does, in fact, contrast dramatically with, for example, the United States.
I know that some people in the national institutions area have become sensitive to these comments. As I said the other day, although this part was not reported, the Australian War Memorial is a model of how I think you present yourself, and what they are doing with their $18 million expansion, with new technology, interactive galleries and the like, is fantastic. But I would like to see the collective effort being more focused. I would like people in other parts of Australia to do as is done in the United States, where people actually go to Washington to see the Smithsonian, to see the capital and to see all the other facilities. I know that Parliament House is one of the most popular destinations, although it has now become considerably more difficult to access the building, but I do believe that greater effort ought to be made to harness the national institutions, acknowledging that there are efforts being made in this regard.
In the final moments I have available I wish to point out that one of the best barometers for how the tourism industry is going is, in fact, hotel room rates. I am a major sceptic of the national visitation survey, based on a thorough and detailed knowledge of this area. I have conveyed that view informally to the federal minister, but people cling to this data. I do not think it is accurate. I think that the real key is hotel data and the average room takings have only gone up four per cent, still not representing a great return on investment in the ACT.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: The discussion is concluded.
Adjournment
Motion by (Mr Barr) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
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