The federal government has announced that it is allocating $60 million more to attract tourists to Australian regions hardest hit by the international border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Australia’s tourism industry was recovering strongly with growing international arrival numbers and the return of cruise ships to Australian waters thanks to our high domestic vaccination rates, according to the Prime Minister in a joint press statement with Dan Tehan, the Minister for Trade Tourism and Investment, Michelle Landry, the Assistant Minister for Regional Tourism and Warren Entsch MP.
Mr Morrison said that Australia had remained a world-leading destination for tourists.
“Our Government is backing Australia’s tourism industry with a $60 million plan to bring back international visitors, especially to the regions that have been hardest hit,” the Prime Minister said.
“As the world reopens, and travellers get out and see the world again, we want to ensure that at the top of every must-see-list is Australia.
“I have been listening to tourism industry operators about what they will need to rebuild their international tourist businesses and this funding boost will deliver on these needs. The package is about getting people on planes and getting them here. It’s about converting the strong interest in Australia to actual businesses.
“The return of our international tourism market will support hundreds of thousands of tourism jobs, strengthen our economy, and back our world-class tourism operators and the many regions reliant on international visitors, like tropical North Queensland.”
The government had provided $15 million for Tourism Tropical North Queensland to bring tourists to the region and promote the Great Barrier Reef.
The government has also allocated $45 million to Tourism Australia (TA) for additional targeted drives to attract international visitors to key regional destinations; $15 million to advertise in key international markets; $25 million for direct partnership activities for TA to work with trade wholesalers, airlines and the media to stimulate international demand to key regions; and $5 million to Business Events Australia which has already helped to win 57 events for the country.
Mr Tehan said the additional funds would complement efforts already underway to stimulate tourism.
“Since our international borders fully reopened, Tourism Australia has been promoting Australia to the world through a $40 million international marketing campaign,” Mr Tehan said.
“This campaign is just the start of a long-term strategy to restart tourism to Australia, with further investment in tourism marketing campaigns internationally to come in the second half of the year.”
Ms Landry said that tourism operators had shown great fortitude and resilience during the pandemic and the additional investment would go a long way to see a regular return of international visitors to North Queensland.
Mr Entsch said the $15 million allocated to Tourism Tropical North Queensland would enable those with local knowledge to promote the region most effectively.
