The organisation is urging the Federal Government to invest in boosting the country’s tourism export recovery efforts by strengthening aviation access, marketing, rebuilding inbound distribution capability and improving visa efficiency.
In its pre-budget submission, the organisation outlined the need for Tourism Australia’s international marketing efforts to be sustained, as well as the rebuilding of inbound distribution capability to help support trade conversion and the improvement of industry competitiveness through capability and digital uplift initiatives.
“Australia remains a desired ‘bucket list’ travel destination for many markets, but interest in the destination alone does not deliver jobs, regional dispersal or export income,” managing director Peter Shelley said.
“To secure long-term growth, we need the right settings in place to convert awareness into visitation and economic return.”
According to ATEC, aviation and tourism policy need “a stronger alignment” to manage capacity and affordability constraints that limit access to long-haul and regional markets.
Investment in destination marketing is also required to drive demand, as well as in inbound distribution networks which help conversion for small, regional and indigenous tourism businesses.
Meanwhile, the visitor visa system needs to be reformed in order to reduce friction and boost traveller confidence.
“Visa efficiency is one of the most powerful drivers of conversion in competitive long-haul markets, and improvements to visa applications and processing, which provide a more ‘welcoming’ traveller experience, can directly strengthen our competitiveness without compromising system integrity,” Shelley said.
“The opportunity for the Federal Government is to actively manage risk and shape outcomes, with coordinated action across aviation, marketing, visas, market engagement and industry capability enabling tourism to move from stabilisation to sustained growth and continue delivering value for the Australian economy.”
