DEVIL’S IN THE DETAIL FOR TOURISM GOALS
The NSW Visitor Economy Strategy has been broadly welcomed but needs more than a policy review and timelines to achieve the goal of $91 billion visitor expenditure by 2035.
NSW Shadow Minister for Tourism Kevin Anderson said the government’s goal of boosting annual visitor expenditure would require a whole-of-government approach, while also leveraging the potential of regional NSW.
“It’s one thing to be aspirational, but NSW will be stuck on the tarmac unless the Minns Labor Government clears the runway for tourism providers across NSW,” Mr Anderson said.
“The review of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 leans heavily on the construction of Western Sydney Airport while giving little detail on how the Government will boost the visitor economy. The government should continue to explore the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel options and the return of the Aviation Attraction Fund.
“Achieving a $91 billion tourism spend will need more than a policy document or one-off infrastructure investments. Setting timelines to achieving the 2035 goal will require a real directive from Government across multiple departments that will be critical to boosting the visitor economy.
“Transport, education, public lands, regional development, and planning must work in unison to solve the 150,000-tourism worker shortfall, build reliable transport options, increase accommodation and services, and offer unique visitor experiences,” Mr Anderson said.
Mr Anderson added that government will play a critical role in incentivising private investment for growth experiences, and there must be genuine engagement from all parties to successfully create and implement this new policy.
“We know that the Minns Labor Government is set to fall 40 per cent short of its National Housing Accord target, so it’s unrealistic to believe they will be able to increase hotel rooms across the state by 40,000,” Mr Anderson said.
“It is incredibly concerning that the Government has failed to detail any real plan for regional areas, despite the strategy envisioning that domestic tourism will contribute 74 per cent of their visitor economy goals.
“I urge Minister John Graham to address these concerns as part of the Government’s Visitor Economy Strategy 2035, which is due to be released in the coming months.”
