Reimagining the visitor economy

The Morrison Government is working to grow Australia's tourism industry, and support jobs and local businesses.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment today released for consultation a proposed strategy to rebuild and reimagine Australia's visitor economy.

“Australia's recovery from COVID-19 is gathering pace, with travel restrictions continuing to ease and we prepare to welcome back visitors from Japan and South Korea,” Mr Tehan said.

“Prior to COVID-19, the visitor economy was Australia's fourth largest export sector, valued at $166 billion and directly employing more than 600,000 people.

“Australia is still a leading international tourist destination, with world-class experiences, passionate tourism operators, highly-skilled workers and top-quality education providers.

“The Morrison Government is working with the sector to ensure our tourism industry is set up to succeed over the coming decade, and that's why our Government commissioned a panel of experts, led by former Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson to develop a strategy for enhancing the visitor economy.

“The panel consulted extensively across sectors and identified three key ingredients for the future success of Australia's visitor economy: the need to diversify markets and products, modernise business practices, and collaborate more closely.

“I invite tourism operators, state and territory governments and impacted sectors to have their say on the proposed THRIVE 2030 strategy to help make our sector even stronger.

“I'd like to thank the panel members for their deep commitment to this process, which has been well-received across the industry.

Assistant Minister for Regional Tourism Michelle Landry welcomed the release of the proposed strategy for consultation, as a part of the Coalition Government's ongoing commitment to the tourism sector.

“The Coalition Government has provided unprecedented levels of support to Australian households and businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which have helped to sustain hundreds of thousands of tourism businesses and jobs across Australia.

“The Reimagining the Visitor Economy strategy is our charted course for long-term growth of Australia's visitor economy after the impact of COVID-19.

“In speaking with tourism businesses, Minister Tehan and I continue to hear about the difficult conditions the industry is experiencing, and we will continue to do everything we can to see the tourism industry prosper,” Assistant Minister Landry said.

Feedback on the strategy is open until 23 December 2021. To review the proposed THRIVE 2030 strategy, visit www.austrade.gov.au/reimagine