Australian tourism needs an innovative boost.

By Steven Csorgo

Experts say innovation and a boost in funding is needed to keep the Australian tourism industry growing.

Members of the Australian tourism industry say more innovation is needed to stimulate tourism growth within Australia.

Matt Hingerty, CEO of the Australian Tourism and Export Council, says there are a number of tourism opportunities available for investment, but the government is reluctant to spend.

“They find it very hard to justify risk and investing in those areas.”

Mr. Hingerty says the government needs to further cater for growing international tourist attractions such as health and medical travel.

Dr. Vicki Peel, coordinator of the Master of Tourism at Monash University, says that domestic tourism also needs a boost, as many are opting for international travel because of the high price of the Australian dollar.

“Australians themselves have been obviously drawn by the fact that there dollar is so good to take holidays in the region, so domestic tourism has been quite stagnant since 2000.”

Many within the tourism industry are feeling apprehensive after Prime Minister Tony Abbot split the tourism portfolio between two Minsters.

Dr. Peel says she finds these government reforms “worrying.”

“For 40 years we’ve had a tourism minister, we’ve had tourism as a major portfolio and it appears, despite messages to the contrary, that tourism is being downgraded.”

Despite these concerns over the future of tourism in Australia, the number of tourists inbound for Australia is set to rise.

Steven Csorgo

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(Images by Steven Csorgo)

This graph demonstrates the predicted number of tourists inbound for Australia.