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Ladies and gentlemen,
First, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land the D'harawal people, and to pay my respects to those elders present.
It is a pleasure to be here today to officially launch the new Jumbulla Aboriginal Discovery Centre.
I congratulate the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation for their successful application for funding under the Australian Tourism Development Program.
Australian Government funding of $100,000 contributed towards the construction of retail facilities here at the centre worth a total of $250,000.
This project will bring in new revenue and give local Aboriginal artists an opportunity to showcase their work.
The Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation will employ local Aboriginal people to act as guides in the centre, providing opportunities to pursue a rewarding career in the tourism industry.
The addition of retail facilities will ensure the financial sustainability of this local attraction well into the future.
Australia's Aboriginal heritage is part of what makes our country unique.
There are opportunities for Australia's Aboriginal community to share their history through tourism.
In 2008, there were 785,000 international visitors who took part in Indigenous tourism activities.
However, this represents only a 15 per cent share of the total international tourism market.
So there is enormous potential to grow the market share of Indigenous tourism in Australia.
We need success stories, and for tourism leaders like the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation to keep developing innovative products and services to further build the profile and reputation of Indigenous tourism in Australia.
The Jumbulla Aboriginal Discovery Centre gives the Aboriginal community of the Illawara the opportunity to preserve their history and share their stories using state of the art displays and multimedia presentation facilities.
It is a unique, authentic tourism attraction which is poised to become a key attraction for visitors to the region.
This project shows the benefits that tourism can bring to Australian communities in the form of jobs and commercial opportunities.
The TQUAL Grants program was established to replace the Australian Tourism Development Program.
TQUAL Grants supports innovative, community driven programs throughout Australia.
To date, seventy innovative tourism projects have received almost $8.3 million in TQUAL funding, including 19 projects here in New South Wales.
State of Play
Tourism in Australia is a $41 billion industry - and the outlook for 2010 is positive.
We have weathered the global economic downturn, outperformed many of our global competitors, and are back on the path to growth.
Against a four per cent decline in global tourism, Australia was able to post solid numbers in international arrivals and maintain our presence in key markets.
The good news is that the Tourism Forecasting Committee predicts that this year will see growth of four per cent in inbound visitor arrivals.
We have to make sure we are prepared for growth.
National Long-Term Tourism Strategy
The National Long-Term Tourism Strategy outlines our vision for the industry.
It brings together all aspects of planning - investment, skills, approvals, research, hotels, quality, innovation, labour, sustainability and transport - into a consistent, national strategy.
A particular focus is investment.
We want to cut red tape to make it easier to invest in our tourism industry.
With the cooperation of the States and Territories, we have a mandate to pursue an ambitious reform agenda.
Last week, tourism ministers agreed to provide $2.2 million to move the Strategy to the next stage with a range of initiatives including;
- Identifying systemic barriers to capital investment in the tourism industry; and
- Developing a reference guide to help employers train and employ Indigenous workers.
Tourism Marketing and Promotion
If Australia is to increase its share of global tourism we need to invest in marketing to sell Australia to the world.
Last year the combined budget was over half a billion dollars, with almost $50 million spent here in New South Wales.
We have a goal to encourage even more international visitors to discover Australia.
Consumer confidence is rising, and there is cautious optimism towards global tourism making a recovery.
This is why the timing is right for Tourism Australia's new global marketing campaign - 'There's Nothing Like Australia'.
It is a contemporary campaign which uses the internet - the marketing tool of the 21st century - to share our unique attractions with a global audience.
Visitors to Australia will be able to log in and share their unique stories through the campaign website - www.nothinglikeaustralia.com.
In the first week, there were over 5000 entries on the website, with 32,000 unique visitors to the website.
Tourism Australia will use these entries to form the basis of an international campaign, including web, television and print media, to be delivered in key international markets.
In the end, this campaign will make a valuable contribution towards any future growth in international visitor numbers.
I encourage you all to participate in this campaign and show the world why there's nothing like Australia. You could even win a $25,000 Australian holiday.
Accreditation
Our investments in marketing however mean little unless the Australian industry can deliver high quality products and services.
Maintaining our reputation for quality will be vital to ensuring the long term sustainability of our tourism industry.
This is why we are working to establish the National Tourism Accreditation Framework.
This Framework will allow accreditation programs which meet prescribed 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.
Our aim is for this mark to become as prominent as the heart tick, or made in Australia sign - instantly recognised and respected by consumers.
This is why the National Tourism Accreditation Framework will be backed by the marketing power of Tourism Australia.
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.
We want to improve the standard of tourism throughout Australia and we want to keep rogue or dishonest operators out of the marketplace.
Community Infrastructure
The Australian Government is also investing in infrastructure to support tourism.
Visitors will benefit from safer and more efficient travel thanks to over $8.3 million in investment in road infrastructure in Wollongong and its surrounding areas.
Investing in road infrastructure is essential if we are to get visitors out of the main centres to explore our regional attractions.
Conclusion
Ladies and Gentlemen, tourism in New South Wales provides employment to over 160,000 people and contributes almost $14 billion to the state economy.
It is an industry spread across our country, encompassing a vast range of communities and attractions.
Opportunities exist to further expand the services and products Australian tourism can offer.
This project is another step in the right direction.
With the right strategy in place, the Australian Government is helping the Australian tourism industry build on our strong base and plan for future growth.
I wish you every success.
Thank you.