Senate debates

Monday, 30 November 2015

Questions without Notice

Tourism

2:55 pm

Photo of Richard ColbeckRichard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Tourism and International Education) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bernardi for his question and I thank him for his Christmas wishes. I look forward to having a glass of good red with him before the season—to look after the great wine producers of Australia! Tourism is already one of Australia's largest exports and a major pillar of our economy. It is a $100 billion-plus industry, and, for every dollar spent on tourism, a further 87c is washed through the sectors of the economy. Tourism generates jobs, investment and growth in communities throughout Australia, with one in 12 jobs being linked to tourism. Ninety per cent of these jobs are delivered by Australians, and this is up from 87 per cent two years ago. This means that there are now almost one million Australians working across tourism. Forecasts from Tourism Research Australia recently released by the government show that this sector will continue to grow over the next decade and is set to inject more than $145 billion into the Australian economy by 2025. Inbound arrivals increased by 77 per cent, to a record 6.6 million arrivals over the last 12 months. Arrivals from New Zealand led the way, with 1.2 million inbound tourists. China grew 21 per cent, to reach over 860,000 visitors, while India grew 20 per cent to reach over 200,000 inbound visitors. I am pleased to say that the Indian tourist market has broken $1 billion for the first time, no doubt also driven by strong educational links we also share with India. This is an exciting time for the Australian tourism industry.

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