Be part of the recovery of the Australian Tourism Industry and Tourism Businesses

Australia’s tourism industry which represents some 8% of GDP is heavily impacted by the global economic crisis.

As mentioned in my ten point plan below for the recovery of global tourism there is a need for the major travel industry associations in Australia to unite under the banner of a national tourism industry body.

I believe that a summit meeting should be convened to look at a number of common approaches and elect a core committee which represents all interests within the Australian travel industry based on the lines of Fiji’s Tourism Action group with a key difference being that this body promotes inbound, outbound and domestic tourism simultaneously and equally.

This is already underway with a Tourism and Travel Crisis Summit taking place very soon indeed and an announcement will be made shortly.

Key constituent bodies should include the following:

Outbound Tourism

PATA (Pacific Asia Travel association)

ANTOR (Association of National Tourism Office Representatives)

AFTA Australian Federation of Travel Agents)

CATO Council of Australian Tour Operators (wholesalers)

IATA (international Air Transport Association) and major constituent airline members operating international services ex Australia,

CEO’s of key international  hotel chains represented in Australia.

TTF Tourism and Transport Forum

Tourism Training Australia

CAUTHE (Council of Australian University and Hospitality Educators)

DFAT Department of foreign Affairs and Trade

The Cruise Industry

Major Travel Insurance providers including QBE, Cover More and Sure Save.

Australian Society of Travel Writers and Trade Press.

Domestic and Inbound

Tourism Australia

State Tourism Bodies

ATEC (Australian Tourism Export Council)

Australian Hotels Association

Key domestic and regional carriers including Qantas, Jetstar , Virgin Blue, REX.

Travel Compensation Fund

Airport Authorities.

Rail service providers

TICA Travel industry careers Association.

The Tourism Ministry within the Federal Department of Resources Energy and Tourism

All of the above bodies should have some common goals.

These should include:

1. A generic campaign to talk up the value and importance of tourism as a vital part of life for the well being of all Australians and to highlight the fact that continuing travel is beneficial to both the Australian economy and contributes to world financial stability and  the alleviation of global poverty.

2. A joint lobbying campaign to minimise government imposts on the tourism industry including inflated departure taxes.

3. Discussion of standard pricing and billing policies between suppliers, travel agents and other distribution links to consumers especially as it applies to outbound tourism in a period of volatile international currency exchange rates

4. A campaign which is equally geared to promoting domestic and outbound Tourism and which focuses on value for money

5. An approach to value added incentive programs which involve multiple elements of tourism product

6. Active cooperation between the government, tourism industry and the media in shaping a positive perception of tourism as an essential part of life

7. Seeking the support of all tiers of government to support a campaign of talking up tourism as a benefit to national state, regional and local communities

8. Enhancing cooperation with educational institutions in directing relevant research in monitoring attitudes to tourism and market expectations and marketing performance

9. Sourcing corporate sponsorship from companies which have a vested interest in tourism

10. Establishing a range of common messages which should appear in every web site, communiqué and press release of all tourism and hospitality companies.

Let’s make no mistake, the longer the tourism procrastinates the more the industry will suffer from the negative sentiments about spending which is being peddled my the media and to some extent by politicians.

Our most urgent task is to reposition the pubic perception of tourism from a discretionary and luxury expense to a necessity for each individual Australian but also for the greater good of the national economy in which tourism is a significant part.

We also need to be aware that many businesses and many individuals working for them depend on the health of tourism.

By acting now we protect our businesses and all who work for them and benefit from them.

The forthcoming Tourism and Travel Crisis Summit will fulfil these and provide some guidance and briefings from a range of leading national and global specialists in tourism crisis management.

Australia has a number of very well credentialed  individuals who from within the tourism industry and tourism academia who can play a role in facilitating a strategic national approach towards the revitalisation of tourism to from and within Australia.

The dates and details of the Summit will be released very shortly.

A Report by The Mole