Page 3647 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 13 September 2017

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That this Assembly:

(1) notes recent data from Tourism Research Australia indicating the strong growth in visitor numbers to the ACT, including:

(a) a 9.1 per cent increase in the number of international visitors, taking the Territory’s total to 221 000 international visitors for the 2016-17 financial year;

(b) a 27.3 per cent increase in international visitor expenditure since the previous financial year, the fastest growth rate of any jurisdiction taking the total international visitor expenditure to over half a billion dollars; and

(c) similarly strong growth in domestic visitation, with domestic visitors to the ACT increasing by 2.7 per cent and total domestic trip expenditure increasing by 16.3 per cent;

(2) notes the important role major events play in attracting both international and domestic tourists to the Territory, noting that:

(a) Floriade attracts more than 400 000 local, interstate and international visitors each year;

(b) the Enlighten festival attracts over 280 000 visitors each year;

(c) the National Multicultural Festival similarly attracts approximately 280 000 each year; and

(d) the vast array of other major events that attract visitors to the Territory, including, but not limited to, the National Folk Festival, the Canberra Balloon Spectacular, Skyfire, Summernats, Australia Day and New Year’s Eve celebrations;

(3) notes the release of the ACT Government’s Major Events Strategy, building on the success of the ACT Government’s Special Event Fund to:

(a) provide the right policy settings for events to grow and prosper in Canberra;

(b) focus on the acquisition of new and exclusive major events;

(c) revitalise and grow our existing anchor events like Floriade and Enlighten;

(d) deliver events throughout the year;

(e) encourage collaboration and coordination across the events sector; and

(f) enhance our major event venues and infrastructure; and

(4) calls on the ACT Government to explore options in implementing the Major Events Strategy to:

(a) utilise the natural and cultural assets located in the Parliamentary Triangle;

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