**Check against delivery
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Victorian gold rushes of the 19th Century maintain a special place in Australia's history.
They heralded the rapid economic and social development of Victoria bringing railways and mass migration inland in search of fortune.
Visitors will be able to take in some of this history when they travel the 'Goldfields Track'.
Tourism is a $40 billion industry which directly employs almost 500,000 people throughout Australia.
Here in Victoria it contributes $8.6 billion to the state economy and directly employs over 100,000 people.
This is why we are investing in the industry's future.
Australian Government funding of $500,000 has been matched by Goldfields Tourism Inc to fund $1 million in upgrades to the 'Goldfields Track' - a shared bushwalking and mountain biking track from Ballarat to Bendigo.
The track runs through townships between the centres - such as Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine, bringing increased visitation and commerce for local businesses and support for local jobs.
Over 28 million domestic and international visitors take part in nature based tourism activities. Victoria's National Parks attract the highest visitor numbers in Australia yet Victoria is not perceived as a highly sought after destination for nature based tourism compared with other states.
The investment by the Australian Government will lift the profile of the Track and the Goldfields region as a nature based destination. The potential increased visitation provides the chance for local tourism businesses to compete for the discretionary dollars of nature based visitors.
This project is one of 70 successful projects announced across Australia worth almost $8.3 million under the TQUAL Grants program.
TQUAL Grants is driving innovative, community projects throughout Australia.
State of Play
The Outlook for our industry is positive.
After a year which saw a four per cent drop in global tourism, Australia was able to post solid numbers and maintain our presence in key markets.
The Tourism Forecasting Committee predicts Australia to experience a four per cent rise in international tourism in the coming year.
Now is the time to take stock and plan for growth.
National Long Term Tourism Strategy
As a government, we are committed to building a resilient, productive and internationally competitive tourism industry.
This is backed up by:
- investments in tourism marketing;
- $500 million in small business support and tax relief;
- a commitment to tackling labour and skills shortages;
- driving investment and development in critical areas like hotels and airports; and
- providing world-leading market intelligence to industry.
Our policy and reform agenda is set out in the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy.
We have the backing of the state and territory governments and are continuing to make headway through the Tourism Ministers Council.
As Chair of the Tourism Ministers Council, I recently announced $2.2 million in extra funding to roll out our work program and we signed off on 41 priority actions including:
- Seeking inclusion of chefs on the skilled occupations migration list
- Improving labour mobility by seeking support for national uniformity for Responsible Service of Alcohol qualifications
- Removing barriers to investment by seeking the inclusion of tourism in the Commonwealth Enterprise Connect Program
- Improving destination management planning, particularly through undertaking pilot projects and identifying gaps in research and dissemination.
- Building stronger links with tourism transport planning through restructuring the National Tourism and Aviation Advisory Committee
- Supporting industry resilience by releasing the study of economic impacts of climate change on tourism; and
- Enhancing indigenous employment through identifying tourism program gaps and scoping out opportunities for inclusion of tourism in existing programs across Governments.
And that's just a snapshot.
2010 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Australia's tourism industry.
For the first time, Australia will have a consistent national tourism agenda to drive growth in the sector.
Tourism Marketing and Promotion
We are continuing our investing in marketing to increase the international demand for Australian tourism.
Consumer confidence is rising, and there is cautious optimism towards global tourism making a recovery.
We will need to be proactive if we want to make the most of this recovery.
This is why the time is right for Tourism Australia's new $150 million global marketing campaign - 'There's Nothing Like Australia'.
Visitors to Australia will be able to log in and share their unique stories through the campaign website - nothinglikeaustralia.com
We are using technology to amplify the power and reach of word of mouth.
By the end of April, there were over 10,000 entries on the website.
This campaign will make a valuable contribution towards any future growth in international visitor numbers.
I encourage Australians to get behind this campaign - you could even win a $25,000 Australian holiday.
Accreditation
Our marketing means little if Australian tourism can not deliver on its promises.
This is why the Australian Government is working to establish the National Tourism Accreditation Framework.
This Framework will allow accreditation programs which meet prescribe quality criteria to come together under one umbrella and have access to a single recognisable mark of quality - the TQUAL mark.
The TQUAL mark will be a single, consistent, Australia-wide mark of quality for the tourism industry.
We want the mark to become as prominent as the 'heart tick', or 'made in Australia' sign - instantly recognised and respected by consumers.
With the marketing power of Tourism Australia behind the scheme, we are doing our part to make the scheme a success.
With the support of industry we will have a powerful framework to reward and support quality and innovation throughout the industry.
At the Tourism Minister's Council on 30 April, Ministers supported the implementation of National Tourism Accreditation and I have announced the establishment of the Tourism Quality Council of Australia which will oversee delivery of the National Tourism Accreditation Framework.
A commitment to quality will prepare our industry to meet any future increase in global tourism demand.
Community Infrastructure
The Australian Government is also investing in infrastructure that supports the development of tourism.
Along the length of the Goldfields track, the Australian Government is investing just over $10 million in road transport infrastructure upgrades.
Visitors to the region will benefit from safer, more efficient travel, encouraging them to get off the main roads and see the full range of attractions on offer.
Investment in amenities and community facilities will improve the appeal of the region.
Over $11 million in total will be spent on upgrading community infrastructure including visitor facilities, community halls and recreation reserves.
Our investment includes $5 million towards upgrades to the Eureka Centre for Australian Democracy, an investment in the future sustainability of this leading attraction.
Conclusion
Ladies and Gentlemen, from the national plan to local projects this Government is working hard to assist tourism in Australia.
We recognise the opportunities it brings to regional communities- supporting jobs and local businesses.
With the continued cooperation of industry and all levels of government, the Australian Government is positioning the industry on a path to increased market share and improved global competitiveness.
I congratulate Goldfields Tourism Incorporated for their successful funding application and for all the hard work by the local community to develop this asset and continue with its maintainence.
It's projects like this that demonstrate the widespread benefits of tourism.
Thank you.