17 September, 2015

Will Australia finally get a tourism minister?

Overnight, we saw a leadership coup so devious that it’s being compared to the likes of Othello and House of Cards.

The mighty Malcolm Turnbull has stepped up to the plate, ready to bat, but it’s all lights and glitter right now, and we’re left wondering what will happen to the tourism industry.

Turnbull says he will lead a “thoroughly Liberal government” and that it’s essential to have a stronger vision.

“We need to have in this country, and we will have now, an economic vision, a leadership that explains the great challenges and opportunities that we face, that describes the way in which we can handle those challenges, seize those opportunities, and does so in a manner that the Australian people understand so that we are seeking to persuade rather than seeking to lecture,” Turnbull said following his 54-44 win over Abbott last night.

“We have to recognise that the disruption that we see driven by technology, the volatility in change is our friend if we are agile and smart enough to take advantage of it.”

Without a doubt, that disruption comes from a stronger tourism industry, and will hold an integral place in the future of Australia’s “economic vision” as Turnbull said.

But still without a Minister for Tourism, our industry appears somewhat neglected. Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb has said the government “places a priority on investment in the tourism sector.”

“Why?” He asks. Well because tourism pumps around $43.5 billion into the GDP down under, as well as providing jobs for almost a million people.

“Tourism is our largest services export at $33 billion,” Robb said.

Clearly, it’s kind of a big deal.

“Tourism can be our fastest-growing sector this decade,” he continued. “But we need to position ourselves well and we need investment.”

A number of key things are in the pipeline for Aussie tourism.

Chinese property developer Greenland will include a 200 room high-end hotel in its Sydney CBD development, Hong Kong’s Far East Consortium plans to bring the prestigious Ritz Carlton brand back to Australia, and a consortium made up of Echo Entertainment, Far East Consortium and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises will undertake a multi-billion dollar redevelopment of Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane.

So lot’s going on.

Robb also admitted that “the peak of the mining investment boom has now passed,” leaving tourism to champion Australia’s money cycle.

“We need to shift our focus to other traditional strengths, other things we are good at,” Robb added.

“Things like our agribusiness sector, tourism and hospitality, our health and medical sector and all the services that support them.”

Time will tell if Turnbull is prepared to get behind the blossoming tourism industry in Australia, and help it to reach its full potential.

What do you think of our new PM?

Image: News.com.au

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

australia Government malcolm turnbull Tony Abbott Tourism Minister