Trade Tourism and Investment Ministers Meeting

Today I will chair a meeting of Australia's Trade and Investment Ministers and Tourism Ministers in Darwin.

These meetings with state and territory ministers are important to ensure we work together to grow trade, increase investment and attract more tourists.

Doing so will create new Australian jobs and drive economic growth.

At the Trade and Investment Minister's meeting we will discuss promoting the benefits of trade and productive investment. It is more important than ever to explain how Australia's open trade and investment framework has helped deliver 25 years of continuous economic growth.

At the Tourism Minister's meeting increasing investment in regional tourism infrastructure, developing a skilled workforce and capitalising on the China Australia Year of Tourism will be on the agenda.

Today's meetings come as Australia experiences record trade and tourism.

The value of Australia's exports reached $34.2 billion in December, the highest level ever in our history, while international and domestic visitors contributed a record $117.9 billion to the Australian economy in 2015-16.

I look forward to working with my state ministerial counterparts to build on this record growth.