List of recommendations

3.89The Committee recommends the Australian Government establishes a national First Nations tourism body to represent the interests of First Nations businesses and communities in visitor economy policy and program development.

3.90The Committee recommends the terms of reference of the new body are informed by the strategies and successful activities of the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council (WAITOC), particularly WAITOC’s approach to community engagement, business capability development, and fostering employment opportunities for First Nations people.

3.91The Committee recommends that once the First Nations tourism body referred to in Recommendation 1 is established, it should consider:

A review into the current state of the First Nations tourism sector with the aim to make recommendations to government and industry on the short-, medium- and long-term actions to build a stronger and sustainable First Nations tourism sector and enable First Nations peoples to derive real financial benefit from appropriately sharing their cultural knowledge in the tourism sector;

Preparation of a National First Nations Visitor Economy Strategy; and

Development and implementation of programs that educate non-First Nations tourism operators on how to engage and ethically partner with First Nations people in their local communities and how to appropriately collaborate with First Nations people and showcase cultural product in their business and services.

3.92The Committee recommends the Australian Government continues to implement grant programs that support First Nations tourism businesses to design and deliver authentic, culturally appropriate experiences including in ethical partnerships with established operators. In implementing these programs, the Government should engage with the new national First Nations tourism body proposed in Recommendation 1.

3.93The Committee recommends the membership of Tourism Australia’s board should include at least one or more First Nations people.

3.94The Committee recommends the Board of Tourism Australia establishes a First Nations advisory panel under section 28(1) of the Tourism Australia Act 2004 (Cth). The purpose of the panel would be to advise Tourism Australia on appropriate representation of First Nations in marketing strategies and campaigns. The membership of the panel should comprise a majority of First Nations peoples.

3.95The Committee recommends relevant Australian Government agencies work with the tourism industry and First Nations representatives to develop partnerships and implement a robust accreditation scheme that supports and promotes the integrity and authenticity of First Nations tourism products, experiences and partnerships.

4.128The Committee recommends that Austrade develops, in consultation with Tourism Australia, State Tourism Organisations and Regional Tourism Organisations, a Regional Dispersal Strategy to drive greater domestic and international visitation into more of Australia’s regions.

4.129The Committee recommends that tourism training providers make training more accessible for regional tourism operators, particularly through culturally appropriate partnership with First Nations businesses, in order to support innovation.

4.130The Committee recommends that the Australian Government supports the sustainability of the tourism sector in regional communities, and the development of both accommodation and attractions in regional areas.

4.131Where appropriate, the Australian Government should consider incentives to promote development, co-investment in tourism stock and other mechanisms to promote development in regional areas.

4.132The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in the context of implementing the Aviation White Paper, prioritises policies that will achieve more accessible and affordable regional air access for travellers across Australia.

4.133The Committee recommends that in developing its International Diversification Strategy, Austrade includes actions that build industry capability to meet the needs of visitors coming from the new markets identified in the Strategy.

4.134The Committee recommends Austrade supports industry to develop and implement national standards and certification systems to promote best practice and deliver quality service outcomes for identified sectors. These standards should be aligned with global standards where applicable. The Committee recommends that Austrade and industry consider the following sectors as priorities for standards development:

sustainable practices within the tourism sector; and

tourism activities in national parks and other protected areas, including Indigenous Protected Areas.

4.135The Committee recommends the Australian Government prioritise the development of policies which improve regional transport and infrastructure, in coordination with state and local governments.

4.136The Committee recommends that the Australian Government considers the expansion of first-point-of-entry status for ports, in order to promote access to regional tourism.

4.137The Committee recommends the Australian Government engage with the government of New Zealand and the governments of other neighbouring countries to develop and implement innovative initiatives and opportunities to encourage tourists to visit multiple countries in the region; for example joint visa offerings.

4.138The Committee recommends that the Australian Government works with states and territories to support the promotion of regional tourism initiatives through effective marketing, improving transport linkages, streamlining regional development and providing incentives for investment.

4.139This should be informed by enhanced destination management plans developed by state and territory governments in collaboration with regional tourism operators

4.140The Committee recommends the Australian Government seeks opportunities to promote nature-based tourism and agritourism in combination with developing policies directed at enhancing international tourism to regional areas, including through streamlining approval processes with state and national parks and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity ConservationAct1999 (Cth).

4.141The Committee recommends the Australian Government works with State and Regional Tourism Organisations to promote the inclusion of people with a disability in the tourism sector, including through inclusion on national and state tourism organisation boards.

5.176The Committee recommends that the Minister for Tourism issue a new Statement of Expectation to Tourism Australia reinforcing its primary focus on marketing to drive demand from international visitors.

5.177The Committee recommends increased communication and flexibility among agencies in the tourism sector on both state and federal levels to improve integration and cooperation.

5.178The Committee recommends that Austrade, in collaboration with Tourism Australia, State Tourism Organisations and Regional Tourism Organisations, collectively develop a charter that explains and delineates the responsibilities each level has in the tourism sector to improve clarity, communication and accountability between the agencies.

5.179This charter should be promoted and communicated effectively to ensure it is easily understood by new and established stakeholders across the sector. Organisations should take active steps to ensure that stakeholders understand the charter and have easy pathways to ask for clarification if necessary.

5.180The Committee recommends more effective communication and regular interaction with local and Regional Tourism Organisations to foster effective knowledge sharing and to enable productivity gains. Austrade, Tourism Australia and State Tourism Organisations are recommended to implement a new engagement mechanism to achieve more effective communication with Regional Tourism Organisations and Local Government Authorities regarding government policies and programs. This will also improve the capacity for federal, state and territory governments to understand the needs and concerns of regions and regional tourism businesses.

5.181This mechanism, in conjunction with the charter developed in Recommendation 21, will foster a ‘no wrong door’ environment for tourism operators seeking assistance or advice.

5.182The Committee recommends that Austrade, in consultation with Tourism Australia and State Tourism Organisations, undertakes surveys of tourism businesses every three years to understand their data and research needs, including how data and research should be presented and accessed.

5.183The Committee recommends the Australian Government, through the Aviation White Paper, prioritise implementation of policies to increase the competitiveness, accessibility and environmental friendliness of air travel into and around Australia, and continues to pursue increased capacity on international routes, including consideration of further ‘open skies’ agreements, consistent with our national interests.

5.184The Committee recommends that Treasury engages with Austrade and the tourism sector to improve access and affordability of insurance for tourism businesses.

5.185The Committee recommends that Austrade work with the tourism sector, in particular Regional Tourism Organisations, to develop resilience plans to make them less susceptible to ‘shocks’.

6.85The Committee urges the Australian Government to consider the recommendations from the Committee’s Interim Report on the international education sector, with a particular emphasis on implementing policies and actions that support regional education providers.

6.86This consideration of the Interim Report should take into account updated government policy settings in the sector, to ensure that the adoption of recommendations aligns with their intent.

6.87The Committee recommends the Australian Government promotes the accessibility and affordability of appropriate housing in regional areas and supports policies which will increase housing stock more broadly to improve the availability of housing for international students and workers in the tourism sector.