Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Tourism and International Education) Share this | Hansard source

I have just indicated that this is quite an exciting time for the Australian tourism industry, and we need to ensure that the spoils of the industry continue to be shared beyond our capital cities. A recent report by the ABS showed that average room yields rose by 0.6 per cent in our capital cities but fell by 2.8 per cent in the regions. We need to redress this balance. Last year 100 million Chinese tourists went on an international holiday, and by 2020 this figure will double to some 200 million. We are seeking to ensure that an increasing number of these Chinese travellers visit our regions, and I am working with Minister Robb to attract investment to rejuvenate regional tourism product. Many of our greatest tourism assets exist in our regions, such as Uluru, Cradle Mountain and of course the Barossa, in the senator's home state. Tourism can be a critical developer of regional Australia, and with 45c in every tourism dollar spent around regional Australia— (Time expired)