Page 2882 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 September 2014
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I have sought to provide a broader view of the IVS and NVS data, reflecting the reality of the success of the centenary year and also acknowledging that to date 2014 is in fact tracking better than years prior to the centenary. We saw a build-up in activity in the centenary year and we have seen a maintenance of tourism numbers at levels well above what we have seen, going back to events as far back as the Sydney Olympics. When Australia hosted the biggest event in the world there was a spin-off for the ACT, as there was for all tourism in Australia in the year 2000.
2013 saw the best tourism result this city has seen since the Sydney Olympics. Yes, 2014 has seen some decline off that number, but I am not surprised at all by that given how strong the 2013 numbers were.
That said, we are continuing to focus on our tourism 2020 strategy, which provides a clear framework of programs and activities to help grow the value of the ACT’s overnight visitor expenditure to $2.5 billion by 2020. It is currently at $1.8 billion and supports around 17,000 jobs. In the time that I have been tourism minister that value has increased from about $1.3 billion to $1.8 billion, and the number of jobs in this sector has gone up from about 12,000 to 17,000. So we have seen considerable growth in the time I have been minister, and I certainly look forward to the continuation of that under the 2020 strategy.
It provides a clear vision for tourism for the territory and establishes a measurable target for all those who are part of the visitor economy. It aligns with the national 2020 tourism framework, which aims to double overnight visitor expenditure from $70 billion nationally to $140 billion in 2020.
Over the next six years some of the areas of focus that will help realise the ACT’s tourism potential include: transport initiatives, including securing direct international flight services, but also low-cost services; investment in destination marketing activities that drive visitation both domestically and internationally; growing the digital capability of the industry; developing new experiences for visitors, to complement investment in new products; and creating the right business environment by encouraging investment. It is incredibly pleasing to see the level of national and international investor interest in this city in recent times. We have been busy reducing regulatory burdens and addressing labour and skills shortages in the sector.
To accommodate the expected increase in visitors at a 75 per cent occupancy rate, we will need 930 new hotel rooms to meet the 2020 target. I can advise the Assembly that we are already on track to achieve this target. The Canberra hotel accommodation development pipeline is strong, with an estimated 750 new rooms to be available by the end of 2015.
The territory government’s commitment to achieve the 2020 goal is progressing into 2015 and beyond. In particular, programs delivered through the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate will support continued growth of the visitor economy. The 2014-15 territory budget provides a direct allocation of $12.141 million to Visit Canberra to support the objectives of the 2020 tourism strategy. In particular, $600,000 has been committed to support the cooperative airline stimulus fund.
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