White Paper slated to give industry 50 per cent boost

By Miles Clarke sydney The Australian meetings and events industry moves into 2004 having successfully weathered the shocks of war and SARS in 2003 with Federal Government acknowledging the crucial role of business tourism in the form of conferences, exhibitions and events. Convention and visitor bureaus are reporting good bid wins for national and international events, with new convention centres opening on the Gold Coast and Perth and the revamp of the tourism industry through the implemented recommendations in the Federal Government's White Paper giving substance to the buoyancy. The White Paper provides a strategic overhaul for the tourism industry to develop improved competitiveness and growth while mitigating the impact of external shocks. Proving that the of the White Paper will be more than rhetoric, over the next four years, the Australian tourism industry will receive more than a 50 per cent boost in marketing funding of A$600 million (US$458m). Business tourism becomes a separate unit within the revamped agency, responsible for domestic and international tourism in Australia. This means this sector will no longer be competing for funding with other niche tourism sectors such as indigenous tourism, diving and sports. The package of initiatives over the next four-and-a-half years includes an added A$120 million boost for international marketing to attract high yield global tourists to Australia, including the launch of a revitalised Brand Australia. Research has shown that every dollar spent on offshore tourism promotion generates between A$11 and $16 in revenue for Australia. Asian destinations are expected to fine-tune their marketing plans to offset the potential impact of Australia's efforts. "We're delighted with the status and recognition our sector is receiving, but we don't yet have the information on the extent of the funding — I believe the devil will be in the detail," said Elizabeth Rich, convenor of BECA, the Business Events Council of Australia, which has lobbied hard for better funding for the promotion of business events. The council has called for an organisation created separate to tourism and, while content with the outcome, BECA is hoping for $15million from Federal Government for the Business Tourism Unit to effective.