Additional funding to attract international visitors

The Morrison Government is investing an additional $60 million to bring back international visitors to the regions hardest hit by international border closures.

Australia’s tourism recovery is bouncing back strongly, with high domestic vaccination rates, our international and state borders open, international arrival numbers growing, cruise ships returning to Australian waters, and confidence to travel ramping up.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia remained a world-leading tourist destination because of its unique attractions, high-quality tourism operators and lifestyle.

“Our Government is backing Australia’s tourism industry with a $60 million plan to bring back international visitors, especially to the regions that have been hardest hit,” the Prime Minister said.

“As the world reopens, and travellers get out and see the world again, we want to ensure that at the top of every must-see-list is Australia.

“I have been listening to tourism industry operators about what they will need to rebuild their international tourist businesses and this funding boost will deliver on these needs. The package is about getting people on planes and getting them here. It’s about converting the strong interest in Australia to actual businesses.

“The return of our international tourism market will support hundreds of thousands of tourism jobs, strengthen our economy, and back our world-class tourism operators and the many regions reliant on international visitors, like tropical North Queensland.”

To help attract more international visitors to Australia, the Morrison Government is investing:

• $15 million for Tourism Tropical North Queensland to get tourists back to North Queensland and to promote the Great Barrier Reef.
• $45 million for Tourism Australia (TA) to undertake additional targeted activities to get international tourists back in to key regional destinations heavily impacted by the loss of international tourism, of which:
  • $15 million for advertising in crucial international markets to support regions most reliant on international tourists;
  • $25 million for direct partnership activities for TA to work with trade wholesalers, the airlines and the media to drive international demand back to key regions; and
  • $5 million to extend Business Events Australia’s highly successful bid fund – which has already helped win 57 events for Australia.

Since March 2020, the Australian Government has provided more than $20 billion in assistance to the tourism and hospitality sector, through JobKeeper, the Cash Flow Boost, and targeted sectoral programs including the Consumer Travel Support Program, Zoos and Aquariums, Business Events Grants, Recovery for Regional Tourism and Tourism Aviation Network Support.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan said the additional funding would complement the work already underway to strengthen our tourism recovery.

“Since our international borders fully reopened, Tourism Australia has been promoting Australia to the world through a $40 million international marketing campaign,” Minister Tehan said.

“This campaign is just the start of a long-term strategy to restart tourism to Australia, with further investment in tourism marketing campaigns internationally to come in the second half of the year.

“Our Government is working with the sector on a long-term strategy to grow the value of the visitor economy to $230 billion by 2030.”

Assistant Minister for Regional Tourism Michelle Landry said the Australian visitor economy is ready to welcome back more international travellers into the country.

“The Coalition Government’s additional funding for Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Tourism Australia is proof of our commitment to the tourism industry and our desire to see it bounce back,” Assistant Minister Landry said.

“Tourism operators have shown great fortitude and resilience throughout the pandemic and this additional investment will go a long way to seeing regular international visitors be welcomed back into the North Queensland region.

“As confidence continues to grow, the Coalition Government is ensuring Australia is front and centre when international tourists consider their next destination to travel to.”

Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch welcomed the additional investment.

“The $15 million for Tourism Tropical North Queensland will allow us to use our local knowledge to best promote our region to the world,” Mr Entsch said.

“Australia is the best country in the world and Tropical North Queensland is its best part, we're excited to be sharing it with the rest of the world again.

“Our local tourism operators are looking forward to being busy and showcasing our wonderful region to international visitors.”