Minister Bailey hits back at critics

A report in the Gold Coast Bulletin says that Federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey has hit back at her critics, blaming Tourism Queensland and the Queensland Events Corporation for leaving Indy and the Magic Millions off Tourism Australia’s major events calendar.

After coming in for a caning over the snub, Mrs Bailey said yesterday it was ‘a bit rich for QEC boss Des Power to have a go at Tourism Australia when his own organisation had failed to deliver’.

The tourism row erupted yesterday after Mr Power was highly critical of TA’s commitment to the promotion of major events, exemplified by the peak national tourism body leaving Indy and the Magic Millions off its annual brochure of major events.

Mrs Bailey said TQ did not even have Indy or the Magic Millions on its own website of major events. She said the QEC had been consulted on what would go in the calendar of major events and it had never suggested Indy or the Magic Millions.

She specifically blamed QEC communications and marketing manager Sharyn Sawyer who Ms Bailey said cleared the final list that had appeared in the brochure.

“If I was a tourist operator on the Gold Coast I’d be outraged at the QEC,” said Ms Bailey.

“How dare Des Power denigrate Tourism Australia when they can’t even get their own back yard right.”

But Mr Power said he would not back down from his criticism and he was ‘more than happy to meet with Fran Bailey because Tourism Australia had dropped the ball on event tourism’.

“Has she ever been to Indy?” he said. “Has she ever been to Magic Millions? Does she know how much these events are worth to the Gold Coast and Queensland?

“I have a genuine commitment to event tourism and I can’t say the same about TA.

“I invited the Tourism Australia chairman Tim Fischer to meet with the QEC two years ago and I didn’t get a word back.

“If you’re going to be the federal minister for tourism you need to go to the big events and see how they work.”

Mrs Bailey said TQ advised on several occasions it had approached Indy organisers to give input to the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW).

She blamed Steve McRoberts, who works at TQ and is on the board of Indy, for not listing the car racing festival.

“The organisers were made aware that if they did not provide input to the ATDW, their event could not be profiled through australia.com,” she said.

“Tourism Australia and Tourism Queensland are not responsible for providing these listings and on this occasion the events in question had not been listed.

“TQ had advised previously to Indy that they should list their product and they have been advised that Indy is not listed as an event.

“In regards to the Gold Coast, the Gold Coast Marathon is highlighted as a major winter event in the brochure.

“Tourism Australia also makes a significant investment to promote this event in Japan, through co-operative marketing activities with JAL (Japan Airlines).”

Mr Power had described TA’s approach to event tourism as ‘unforgivable and crass stupidity’ and said it had not ‘woken up to event tourism’.

“I stand by those comments,” said Mr Power yesterday.

“I am simply doing my job by pointing out the serious omissions in strategy taking place at our national tourism level.”

Mrs Bailey provided The Bulletin with email correspondence between the Queensland bodies and TA which she said backed her criticism of Sharon Sawyer of the QEC and Steve McRoberts of TQ and Indy.

Mrs Bailey and Tourism Australia managing director Geoff Buckley will be on the Gold Coast next week to speak with the Tourism Gold Coast board.

Federal MP Steve Ciobo said yesterday it was time to bring TA bosses to the city to hear the concerns of local tourism operators.

“One job in four on the Gold Coast is in tourism so it is a very important industry for us,” he said.

“I have spoken to Geoff Buckley today and he will be coming to the Gold Coast next week to iron out some issues.”

Mr Ciobo laid the blame for the events calendar and australia.com website debacle on TQ.

He said he was lobbying to have a southeast Queensland representative soon on the Tourism Australia board.

“I think that is important,” he said.

Report by The Mole from the Gold Coast Bulletin