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As Australia's competitiveness continues to decline do we have a panecea?

By Chris Harrison // 14 December 2011 // Comments: 0 // Related Categories: blogging, industry news

As seen earlier this year Australia is dropping down the  rankings again of travel & tourism competitiveness. This can be traced to a perceived weakening of the focus on environmental sustainability and increasing concerns about the availability of qualified labour in this country.

Plus a recent PwC report suggest that "Australia's  struggling tourism sector has been warned that many of its headwinds are here to stay, meaning that long-term adjustment to cope with the mining boom and the high Australian dollar will be needed to survive." Read more

So, while Australia’s travel & tourism competitiveness continues to be characterized by a number of clear strengths, it's rich natural resources: the country ranks 1st for its World Heritage natural sites. And its excellent air transport infrastructure (ranked 3rd). 

Is the recently launched Long-Term Tourism Strategy the panecea that will save the industry?

Dubbed Tourism 2020, Federal Tourism Minister, Martin Ferguson, has just released a “significant update” to the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy, integrating the plan with the growth aspirations of Tourism Australia’s 2020 Tourism Industry Potential.

Significantly - “With only 35 per cent of tourism businesses currently accepting online payments for instant confirmation bookings, we need to equip businesses with the tools they need to compete more effectively. Tourism 2020 will sharpen Australia’s competitive edge and deliver tangible benefits for Australian tourism businesses,” he said.