Plan to rebuild visitor economy provides roadmap for recovery

A new tourism strategy, THRIVE 2030: The Re-Imagined Visitor Economy, announced by the Federal Government today, provides a roadmap to rebuild Australia’s visitor economy and return to sustainable growth for the sector.

“The THRIVE strategy recognises that Australia’s prosperity is contingent on a strong visitor economy.  With the tourism industry ready to roar back to life, the THRIVE strategy has come at the right time,” executive chair of Australian Chamber – Tourism John Hart said.

“After engaging with Austrade throughout the consultation process, Australian Chamber – Tourism is pleased to see a recovery strategy that incorporates a strong vision, solid targets and an actionable plan.  The interests of Australia’s visitor economy are best served by a strongly aligned strategy that defines the sector’s potential and how it will be achieved.

“International and domestic tourism was worth $166 billion a year to the Australian economy prior to the pandemic, supporting over one million jobs.  The success of the strategy will see the economic contribution of tourism increase to $230 billion by 2030, benefitting all Australians.

As an appointed member of the THRIVE Workforce and Skills Technical Working Group, Mr Hart will develop measures to address crisis-level workforce shortages across the visitor economy, as well as secure and maintain a high-quality workforce for the future.

“Given workforce shortages are a critical issue facing businesses in the tourism sector, the focus on growing a secure and resilient workforce is critical,” Mr Hart added.

“An initial investment of $142.3 million from the Federal Government will be pivotal to the strategy’s success. Importantly, this funding includes an additional contribution of $60 million over three years to attract international visitors from new and diverse international markets, and $4.8 million for Tourism Research Australia to capture valuable sectoral data.

“It is essential that industry and governments work in conjunction to return Australia’s tourism sector to its previous growth trajectory.  Australian Chamber – Tourism looks forward to working with all stakeholders on the strategy’s implementation.