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Ladies and gentlemen, may I welcome you all to Canberra.
It's a pleasure to be with you this evening.
Tonight we recognise and celebrate quality, excellence and innovation by businesses small and large.
Whenever people talk about their travel experience whether for business or pleasure, the quality of the food is pivotal to a good memory.
So a vibrant Australian tourism industry needs a vibrant restaurant and catering sector.
Good food makes for great holidays.
Which is why the Australian Government values the contribution you make to our national prosperity and quality of life.
Your sector is an important part of the Australian economy employing 196,000 people across 15,500 mainly small businesses.
And that's why we are working hard on tourism's long-term sustainable growth and support for small businesses.
The Global Financial Crisis reduced income, wealth, consumer and business confidence and discretionary expenditure, all of which have had a significant impact on tourism.
Then we had Swine Flu and now the dollar is at 0.92 US.
Despite these challenges, Australia's tourism industry has shown resilience through what has been a very tough period.
The Government has been pleased to assist you.
The small business sector has received more than $500 million in incentives and support from the Government for tax breaks and cash flow relief on PAYG instalments.
The Australian Government stimulus payments have also given restaurants the opportunity to compete for a share of the billions of dollars injected into the economy.
I was pleased to see Restaurant and Catering Australia estimate at least $80 million was injected into the sector from these payments.
But I have also been pleased by your response; pleased to see business operators manage their staff rosters like never before to retain valuable people and save jobs.
These efforts saw total business turnover increase by almost eight per cent - or $1.3 billion - through the first half of this year and 32,000 new jobs have been created
With positive signs on the global economic front, the restaurant and catering sector can expect to see the positive flow-on effects of this.
The Jackson Report identified a number of priority issues for the tourism industry.
Issues such as skills and training, investment, Indigenous engagement, infrastructure, aviation access and product development can not be implemented by me alone; they require the support of State and Territory Governments and the industry.
That is why at the Tourism Ministers' Council meeting on 30 October I will be seeking the support of my State and Territory colleagues to have the National Long Term Tourism Strategy considered and endorsed.
On the issue of Skills and Training, the Australian Government is working hard to make skills and training the bedrock of the industry's development.
The Australian Government's Productivity Places Program is vital preparation for long-term expertise.
Within the tourism, hospitality and events industry, more than 5,600 people have commenced training in hospitality or tourism qualifications.
The National Enterprise Pilot Training Project built on the success of the Productivity Places Program and has provided almost $3Â million to increase the skills of existing workers, including opportunities for employees in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Service Skills Australia is also working with Restaurant and Catering Australia to implement the Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Development Strategy.
This is all about attracting and retaining the right people - including indigenous Australians - in the tourism and hospitality industry.
I encourage you all to continue to work with Service Skills Australia to help achieve this goal.
The restaurant and catering industry has been at the forefront in its effort to continuously improve the quality of service in the industry.
It has long recognised the benefits of accreditation through quality assurance programs including the Savour Australia plate rating scheme, the Restaurant Accreditation Scheme and the Green Table Australia scheme.
Restaurant and Catering Australia has been actively involved in the development of a National Tourism Accreditation Framework for all tourism businesses.
A National Tourism Accreditation Framework will build on the success of all existing accreditation programs (more than twenty of them) that are striving to improve quality in the industry.
I wish to thank the R&CA for their active contribution to the framework's Joint Working Group and, thanks largely to you, we are now very close to finalising the endorsement and adoption of a National Tourism Accreditation Framework, something the industry has been trying to achieve since 1997.
Ladies and gentlemen, you've been through a tough patch, we need to continue to work together as we implement the long term tourism strategy.
Our product, our people, and our commitment to innovation stand us in good stead.
The Australian Government is working hard to give you the best possible opportunities to play your vital role in our national prosperity, to share lifelong skills with colleagues and to demonstrate quality and innovation to consumers.
Thank you for the valuable role you have played so far, I look forward to continuing our work together.