MARTIN FERGUSON MICHAEL FORSHAW
Minister for Resources and Energy Senator for New South Wales
Minister for Tourism
The Economic Importance of Tourism in Australia’s Regions report released today by the Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson reveals the Mid North Coast’s economy is one of the largest tourism earners as well as one of the most tourism dependent regional economies in Australia.
The value of the tourism output to the Mid North Coast in 2007/08 was $2.0 billion. This was 8.7 percent of the overall output from the region, making it the ninth largest tourism earner and eleventh most tourism dependent region in Australia.
“Tourism is the lifeblood of many regional areas; it creates jobs where people live. Tourism is a source of employment in the Mid North Coast for many people including hospitality professionals, uni students, travellers, and older Australia’s looking for part-time employment,” said the Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson.
Tourism is a big part of the New South Wales economy more broadly. About 75 million visitors came to the state last year creating an industry which supported around 200,000 tourism-related businesses in New South Wales.
“The Mid North Coast is rightly proud of its tourism industry,” said Senator for New South Wales, Michael Forshaw.
“We know regional areas see 46 cents in every dollar of tourism spending. So our local industry isn’t just important to the people who work in it – it’s important to everyone who lives here.
“The Mid North Coast has been supported by the Australian Government through marketing campaigns such as Tourism Australia’s $150m global “There’s Nothing Like Australia” campaign.
“The Mid North Coast is part of the Legendary Pacific Coast Tourism Initiative. This is an Australian Government TQUAL Grants project which stretches along the coast from Sydney to the Queensland border. The project includes tourist signposting, website development, branding, innovation and project management.”
“Tourism businesses on the Mid North Coast have never had a better opportunity to mesh their new investments with the millions of dollars going into tourism campaigns at home and overseas.”
Tourism ministers from all jurisdictions meet in Darwin later this week to discuss a two-year work program to drive greater regional tourism industry resilience under the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy.
The Economic Importance of Tourism in Australia’s Regions is at www.ret.gov.au/tra