Aussie tourism industry to revamp itself

Australia's tourism industry is revamping itself with a new national strategy to
encourage investment and innovation.
Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson launched the national long-term tourism
strategy in Perth on Tuesday.
Working groups from Australian states and territories will be required to set out
the main opportunities and challenges for the tourism industry in the next five
years.
Labour and skills shortages, attracting international visitors, means of travel,
facilities and new tourism opportunities will be key focuses.
Ways of dealing with the challenges as a nation will then be developed.
Mr Ferguson also announced more than $8 million in grants for innovative tourism
businesses that are encouraging development.
The minister said the strategy was designed to unite the industry, work towards
common goals and encourage investment from the private sector.
He said Australia's business leaders needed to recognise the importance and
significance of the $40 billion tourism industry.
"This is about better positioning the tourism industry in Australia economically,"
Mr Ferguson said.
"Tourism's economic importance is far greater than most people in Australia actually
appreciate.
"It generates more than 10 per cent of total Australian exports as reflected in
2007/08."
Mr Ferguson said the strategy would improve training and work opportunities in the
industry, which directly employs nearly half a million people.
A National Tourism Accreditation Framework (NTAF) will be introduced with its own
symbol to signify high quality, innovative products and experiences.
The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) welcomed the plan.
ATEC managing director Matthew Hingerty said he hoped it would highlight the
industry's importance to the nation's economic future.
The industry faced ongoing challenges in competition, productivity, quality control,
development and labour, Mr Hingerty said.
"The landscape for the tourism industry has changed dramatically in the last 10
years," he said.
"Global competition is intense and the consumer is now in the driving seat ... with
access to social networking and instant broadcasting of their experiences, and no
country can afford to serve up sub-standard fare."
In Western Australia, where another mining boom is set to increase the number of
people flocking to the state, Mr Ferguson said the time was for ripe for investors
to snap up opportunities.
The biggest challenge WA faced in expanding its tourism industry was the upgrade of
Perth's international and domestic airports and building new accommodation
facilities, he said.
Perth's three- and four-star hotel facilities were mostly built between 1965 and
1980 and needed to be "refreshed", Mr Ferguson said.
WA's Tourism Minister Liz Constable said it was a priority to encourage hotel and
hospitality investment.