The Great Debate: Tourism under the microscope
The great and the good will be queuing to get into the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra on Monday week (November 15) for a conference flagged as the 2010 Australian Tourism Directions Conference.
Direction is want Australia tourism needs most at the moment with domestic tourism languishing, outbound soaring and inbound going nowhere as a strong Australian dollar makes the country more expensive for overseas visitors.
Organisers Tourism Australia and the Department of Resources Energy and Tourism say the conference “will deliver national and international research and insights on Australia’s tourism performance and potential” to define “a long-term vision for the Australian tourism industry”.
Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the World Tourism Organisation, has already had his say.
He told the recent Tourism Futures conference that tourism leaders in Australia had to step out of the comfort zone.
He said Australia needs to ditch the “island mentality” that bred complacency and a misplaced belief that international holidaymakers would beat a path to its door.
“Australia has lived for a long time . . . happy with its isolation,” Dr Rifai said. “That’s not going to work any more.”
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements