MARTIN FERGUSON MIKE KELLY
Minister for Resources and Energy Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture,
Minister for Tourism Fisheries and Forestry
Member for Eden-Monaro
The Economic Importance of Tourism in Australia’s Regions report released today by the Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson reveals the Snowy Mountains economy is one of the most tourism dependent regional economies in Australia.
The value of the tourism output to the Snowy Mountains in 2007/08 was $495 million. This was 17.1 percent of the overall output from the region, making it the fourth most tourism dependent region in Australia after Central Northern Territory, Phillip Island and the Whitsundays.
“Tourism is the lifeblood of many regional areas; it creates jobs where people live. Tourism is a source of employment in the Snowy Mountains 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.
“The Snowy Mountains region is rightly proud of its tourism industry,” Member for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly said.
“It is home to part of the Australian Alps National Landscape, a government program to promote a spectacular collection of some of Australia’s most outstanding unique areas of natural beauty.
“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 Snowy Mountains has been supported by the Australian Government through marketing campaigns such as Tourism Australia’s $150m global “There’s Nothing Like Australia” campaign.
“Must-do Snowy Mountains experiences such as visiting the Wildbrumby Schnapps Distillery or skiing or snowboarding amongst the Snowgums have been successfully marketed to both domestic and international visitors.
“Tourism businesses in the Snowy Mountains 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 is a big part of the New South Wales economy more broadly. Nearly 75 million visitors came to the state last year creating an industry which supports around 200,000 tourism-related businesses.
Tourism ministers from all jurisdictions meet in Darwin later this week to discuss a two-year work program to drive greater regional tourism resilience under the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy.
The Economic Importance of Tourism in Australia’s Regions is at www.ret.gov.au/tra