Page 2991 - Week 08 - Thursday, 15 August 2019
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Earlier this year our investment in targeted tourism strategies was recognised, with Canberra and the region receiving five awards at the national tourism awards, and three of Canberra’s cultural attractions gaining international exposure by attaining recognition through the signature experiences of Australia status. Next year—and this is important—we will showcase our city and our wonderful local food and beverage offerings on the national stage as we host the Australian tourism awards, providing opportunities for local operators to nominate and participate, to gain national and international recognition.
Domestic and international visitors stayed over 13 million nights in the year ending March 2019 and contributed a record-breaking $2.46 billion to our local economy in the same period. Part of our strategy to continue this growth in tourism is through increasing our domestic and international aviation connections and building on our strengths in existing markets through strategic partnerships and marketing campaigns by VisitCanberra.
A particular focus will be on the domestic market, on low-cost domestic carriers. We continue to engage with Tiger and Jetstar to see them bring more or any flights to Canberra, and we will continue to engage with international airlines as well.
We will also seek hotel investment into Canberra to supplement our existing properties and to provide more options for visitors. We are particularly targeting five-star internationally branded hotels who do not have a presence in our city and whose own in-house marketing reaches hundreds of millions of people across the world through their hotel loyalty programs.
This is an important next step on the supply side for Canberra’s tourism and hospitality industry. As we are smashing all previous records in seeing the fastest growth in tourism of any state or territory, now is the time to be investing in Canberra’s tourism and hospitality sector. It is very pleasing to see more than a decade’s work now culminating in these record-breaking results, nation-leading results, massive boosts to employment in our city and a significant increase in tourism’s economic contribution to the territory.
It brings together a significant policy focus for the government in diversifying the territory’s economy, and the results are there for all to see. We are nation-leading, we are continuing on our growth path and next year we host the Australian tourism awards. Tourism in Canberra is booming. It is fantastic to see.
MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for the Arts and Cultural Events, Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Minister for Business and Regulatory Services, Minister for Government Services and Procurement and Minister for Seniors and Veterans) (11.48): To have a strong building industry we need to invest in our regulator to make sure that the legislative framework is adhered to and enforced. The work that Access Canberra does that is funded in this area of the ACT budget to ensure compliance in the building industry continues to be more and more relevant as the industry grows.
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