Tourism Australia will receive $36 million less from the public purse next year, down from A$214 million in 2021 to A$178 million in 2023.
The Treasury said the cut was “due to the temporary nature of the government’s additional tourism marketing campaigns as international travel resumes” post COVID.
The Accommodation Association welcomed the announcement of funding to help with the skills gap and staffing shortages in the sector. Its president Leanne Harwood said. “Tonight’s announcement of $10 million in training and skills development will go a long way in helping us attract, educate and re-train the 100,000 staff we need right now including supporting more First Nations Australians, people living with a disability, and older Australians.”
The Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) gave the budget a thumbs up on further investment in the Quality Tourism Framework. “ATIC congratulates the Labor government in supporting small and medium businesses in the tourism sector via the Quality Tourism Framework,” said ATIC Deputy Chair Shaun de Bruyn.
“This will help our visitor economy to remain competitive and support a sustainable tourism sector.”
Tourism minister Don Farrell focused on the A$48 million commitment from the government to upgrade caravan parks and alleviate the staffing shortage to grow and rebuild the sector to “return to the economic powerhouse we know it to be”.
Over the past 5 years Tourism Australia’s government funding has increased by over 65% from $129 million in 2018 to $214 million in 2022.
The $36 million cut will still leave the organisation 38% up over five years.
