Under ACT Labor, our local tourism industry reached record levels of growth – and became one of the ACT’s largest employers.
We brought international flights to Canberra, and we grew the sector contribution to our local economy to $2.5 billion.
2020 has decimated the tourism sector, both nationally and here in the ACT.
The combination of bushfires and COVID-19 has wiped out over $800 million in overnight visitor expenditure from the industry in the year ending June 2020, putting thousands of peoples jobs and livelihoods at risk.
Today, ACT Labor has outlined our plan to support the sector over the next four years.
Rebuilding our local tourism industry is a critical part of our plan to create more than 250,000 local jobs by 2025.
As previously announced, we will launch the biggest destination marketing campaign in the Territory’s history when travel to the ACT is safe through an additional $2 million over the next term of government.
This campaign will start in key domestic markets like NSW, Tasmania and Queensland and will broaden to other domestic markets as borders reopen in COVID safe destinations.
As borders reopen, a re-elected ACT Labor government will also attract more direct domestic and international flights to Canberra through our $3 million flight fund.
ACT Labor will establish the ACT COVID-safe Tourism Demand Program, providing direct finance for the development of COVID-safe tourism products and infrastructure to help the industry restart. The $1.5 million fund will provide matched funding for projects and infrastructure that can demonstrate a return to the Territory.
ACT Labor’s Plan to support our local tourism industry also includes:
- Continuation of the Floriade in the Suburbs and engagement with community organisations, which has been hugely popular in 2020 as part of Floriade Reimagined
- $1 million for the Tourism Cooperative Marketing Fund to jointly partner with local tourism operators on campaigns that seek to attract visitors to the ACT
- $6 million for the Major Events Fund, with the aim of attracting COVID-safe events to the ACT over the next four years
- $1.4 million over the next term of Government for the National Capital Tourism Education program
- $5.3 million over the next term of Government for the Canberra Convention Bureau and a provision under the Major Events Fund to attract high economic impact business events to the ACT
Under ACT Labor, we have consistently delivered for the tourism sector and we know the sector is a critical contributor to the ACT’s COVID recovery.
Our new goal is to grow the ACT’s overnight visitor expenditure to $3.5 billion by the end of the decade.
The pandemic isn’t over and only ACT Labor has the right plan to create and support local jobs and businesses.