About the Tourism Access Working Group
Membership
Priorities and achievements
Related documents
More information
About the Tourism Access Working Group
The Tourism Access Working Group (TAWG) was established under the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy. Through the updated Tourism 2020, the working group ensures the tourism transport environment supports growth.
The working group takes a comprehensive and integrated approach to recognising that the needs of the tourism industry are vital in the consideration of transport access and infrastructure planning.
Given Australia's geographic position and size, efficient transport infrastructure and links are essential to ensure Australia's competitiveness as a visitor destination.
Membership
- Australian Government Minister for Tourism (Co-Chair)
- Australian Government Minister for Infrastructure and Transport (Co-Chair)
- Australian Government Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
- Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Transport
- Tourism Australia
- QANTAS Group
- Virgin Australia
- Sydney Airport Corporation Ltd.
- Melbourne Airport
- Brisbane Airport Corporation
- Westralia Airports Corporation
- Canberra Airport
- Queensland Airports
- Northern Territory Airports
- Adelaide Airport Ltd
- North Queensland Airports
- Northern Territory Government
- Australian Capital Tourism
- Destination NSW
- Tourism Queensland
- Tourism Tasmania
- Tourism Victoria
- Tourism Western Australia
- Tourism NT
- South Australian Tourism Commission
- Australian Federation of Travel Agents
- Australian Hotels Association
- Australian Tourism Export Council
- Board of Airline Representatives Australia
- National Tourism Alliance
- Tourism and Transport Forum
- Australian Airports Association
- Ports Australia
- Carnival Australia
- Royal Caribbean Australia
Priorities and achievements
The Tourism Access Working Group has made substantial progress against its key priority actions.
Highlights include:
Mapping paper
Stage two of the Mapping Australia's Tourism Aviation Priorities report is complete. The report presents an in-depth analysis of Australia's future aviation environment, recommendations on how to maximise future aviation growth potential for tourism and identifies potential growth impediments.
For the July 2012 TAWG meeting, an updated version of the report was provided. The new document, Mapping Australia's Aviation Markets (see Related documents) includes Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, acknowledging their importance as hub destinations. This document will be revised periodically as air services arrangements and market priorities evolve.
Please note this paper represents a summary of the tourism sector's key markets, not the Department of Infrastructure and Transport's actual negotiating program.
Regional airports
Stage One identified a need to address the lack of Australian and foreign stakeholder awareness and understanding of the benefits of the Australia’s regional airport access packages.
Stage Two developed a communication strategy for industry to improve the awareness of foreign governments and airlines of the packages. Regional Access Information Brochures (see Related documents) have been produced for industry to disseminate to relevant foreign stakeholders. The brochures inform stakeholders of Australia's two regional access packages and may result in more international air services to regional destinations.
Stage Three investigated the challenges regional airports have experienced in attracting and sustaining international air services. The project developed case studies on a number of regional airports to identify the key factors effecting the introduction and commercial sustainability of international passenger services.
The final report (see Related documents), produced by Airbiz Aviation Strategies Pty Ltd, identified key decision criteria analysed by airlines prior to commencing services to new destinations and found that an airline will only fly to a regional airport if there is a commercially viable business case to do so.
Cruise Data project
Tourism Research Australia (TRA) is working with industry bodies to compile nationally consistent data which will assess the economic contribution of cruise shipping to the Australian economy.
Tourism Refund Scheme (TRS)
The TRS project aimed to increase foreign visitor knowledge and utilisation of the TRS by communicating the merits of the scheme.
The latest data indicates significant uptake of the TRS by foreign visitors, compared to when the scheme was introduced a decade ago. When the TRS was introduced in mid 2000, Australian resident claims outweighed international visitor claims 9:1. In 2011, claims made by international visitors amounted to 50 per cent of the total refunds submitted and over 80 per cent of the refunded value. The latest data shows that the uptake of the TRS by international visitors continues to increase.
The Department will also work with the Australian Taxation Office, the Treasury and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service on other possible enhancements to the scheme.
Trans-Tasman travel
GHD was appointed to undertake an analysis of the potential economic benefits for Australia of simplifying trans-Tasman travel requirements. The Trans-Tasman Project Report (see Related documents) provides a number of scenarios which present the financial benefits from changing elements of the trans-Tasman journey.
Please note this report has been compiled from an Australian tourism sector perspective.
The Tourism Access Working Group will work with the Department to assist in providing advice to border agencies on the benefits of enhancing trans-Tasman passenger processing to the tourism industry.
Related documents
More information
For more information about the Tourism Access Working Group contact TAWG Secretariat:
Phone: (02) 6243 7463
email: TAWGSecretariat@ret.gov.au.