**Check against delivery
Ladies and gentlemen,
It's a pleasure to be in Sydney today to launch the 'Cruise and Coach'; Short Break Tours of Regional NSW Project.
Through the TQUAL Grants program, the Australian Government has contributed $24,000 to a $50,000 feasibility study into accommodated cruise and luxury coach tour packages for regional NSW.
I congratulate Captain Cook Cruises on their successful application for funding for this project.
The study will examine the market potential of short-break holidays to regions including the Hawkesbury River, Hunter Valley and Southern Highlands using cruise transport into Sydney and luxury coach transport to regional New South Wales.
If 'Cruise and Coach'; travel packages are proven feasible, they have potential to increase the range of travel options for visitors to Sydney, and encourage tourism in nearby regional destinations
Exploring new market opportunities is vital for the expansion of Australia's tourism industry.
The cruise industry is one of Australia's fastest growing tourism sectors that contributed $1.2 billion to the Australian economy in 2007-08, up 54 per cent or
$781 million on 2006-07.
Increasing the range of products and services we can offer will go a long way towards attracting even greater numbers of domestic and international visitors.
And the benefits of cruise ship tourism flow throughout our regional centres.
The cruise ship industry added $549 million to the Australian economy in 2007-08, through passenger stopovers and spending in ports throughout Australia.
This project is one of seventy across Australia, which received almost $8.3 million under the TQUAL Grants program, including $1.9 million for projects in NSW.
Cruise Industry
The Australian Government recognises the importance of the cruise industry as a rapidly emerging tourism market.
We have been working to provide facilities for our border agencies at cruise ship ports, to process passengers more efficiently.
This is part of our ongoing commitment to working with the cruise ship industry to resolve any issues in Australian ports, and improve the experience for passengers.
The State Governments have also made commitments in their budgets to improve the passenger experience.
Tourism Promotion
Governments of all levels continue to invest in tourism promotion.
We want to encourage Sydneysiders to take a well earned break with our 'No Leave No Life' Campaign.
The aim is to get Australians to use some of their
123 million days of hoarded leave worth $33 billion, to explore the wealth of tourism experiences here in Australia.
We also want to share these experiences with the world.
That's why Tourism Australia's latest campaign - 'There's Nothing Like Australia' - gives Australians the opportunity to upload stories and videos of their favourite place in Australia to share with the rest of the world.
This campaign will make the most of Australia's strong competitive base for the eventual global tourism recovery.
Against a 4.3 per cent decline in global tourism in 2009, Australia posted solid numbers in international visitor arrivals, holding steady with the previous year.
We have kept our foothold in key markets such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand, while recording growth in the emerging markets of India and China.
Community Infrastructure
The quality of the infrastructure which supports the tourism industry is a very important part of the travel experience.
That is why we have invested just over $45 million dollars in community infrastructure projects throughout the Sydney, Hunter, Southern Highland, and Hawkesbury regions.
In addition, over $2.3 billion has been allocated to upgrading transport infrastructure in these regions as part of the Nation Building stimulus package.
The addition of bike paths, maintenance and repair of pedestrian facilities, and safer roads will contribute to the visitor experience throughout Sydney and its surrounding regions.
Tourism is an industry dominated by small businesses.
As part of the economic stimulus, the Australian Government has invested more than $500 million in small business incentives and support to help the 93 per cent of tourism businesses in this category.
We provided business advice and support, marketing assistance, tax breaks and cash flow relief to help Australian business weather the global financial crisis and return to growth.
National Long-Term Tourism Strategy
Tourism in Australia is a $40 billion industry, providing employment and business opportunities in communities throughout Australia.
The challenge is to ensure its future development and growth, and in doing so, protect the livelihood of the 500,000 Australians who work in the tourism industry.
The Australian Governments has set an ambitious work plan, through the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy, launched late last year.
The objective is to unlock more investment in tourism.
We want to remove barriers to investment, to ensure that the industry receives the investment and infrastructure it needs in critical areas such as hotels, airports and ports.
With large complex operations throughout Australia, the cruise ship industry has a need for mobile and flexible staff.
The Australian Government is working to improve tourism skills and training, making it easier for the tourism industry to attract and retain quality staff.
We are:
- Working with Service Skills Australia to implement the Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Development Strategy;
- Developing a plan that addresses labour and skills shortages in the tourism industry;
- Increasing labour mobility across jurisdictions; and
- Identifying projected labour and skills shortages and planning future demand.
As we begin to implement the strategy, we have been buoyed by the support of industry and the state and territory governments.
Their continued support will be vital as we set Australian tourism on a path for future growth.
Conclusion
Ladies and Gentlemen, tourism here in New South Wales provides employment to over 160,000 people and contributes almost 4 per cent to Gross State Product.
The tourism industry in the Sydney region has been performing very well with visitor expenditure increasing by 1.1 per cent in 2009.
With commitment and vision, and the right strategy in place, we are helping the Australian tourism industry build on our strong base and plan for growth.
I wish you every success with your project.