🎙 MEDIA RELEASE 🎙

Regional tourism industry calls for Federal Government leadership as the next crisis hits the regions.

Skills and workforce shortages across regional Australia is restricting business recovery post easing of COVID restrictions, and the rebuilding of what was once an industry worth $138 billion, attributing to one in 12 jobs nationally, and closer to one in six jobs in some regions.

Australian Regional Tourism Chair, Coralie Bell said “the regional tourism industry has been calling on the Federal Government to address skills and workforce shortages in regions as a key National priority since 2017, warning that there will soon be a breaking point, we are furious that after so many years, we’re still having the same conversation!”.

“Regional Australia needs a National Framework to address skills and workforce shortages now. We have states reporting that some regions are expecting record numbers on the easing of COVID restrictions, while industry is reporting they can’t open their doors because they don’t have staff” said Mrs Bell.

“Let me be very clear. Our industry is facing the largest national skills and workforce shortage in living memory. This is not new. This was true before COVID and it remains so now, more than ever. Make no mistake, we may have visitors in some towns, but many businesses won’t have staff to serve them food or their clean rooms. This is real. Without people in hospitality, service and tour delivery, we have no tourism industry”.

“Effective leadership is needed to pull states and territories together and face our way out of this pandemic as one country” said Ms Bell.

The regional tourism industry calls on the Federal Government to step up and deliver a National Framework to address skills and workforce shortages and enable business recovery.

Michelle Landry

🎙 MEDIA RELEASE 🎙
Regional Tourism Industry calls out the country’s piecemeal response to COVID restrictions - pleading with Federal and State Governments to provide effective leadership.

Regional areas across the country are at risk of not only huge economic losses, but Australian Regional Tourism warns recovery for many is no more than a pipe dream.

The industry previously worth $138 billion and attributing to one in 12 jobs nationally, and closer to one in six jobs in some regions, has been hardest hit by the covid downturn. There is no doubt the country faces the largest health crisis in many generations, however the collective State and Territory Governments refusal to successfully collaborate on a coordinated response to restrictions, ongoing border closures and lack of a national strategy to rebuild industry, is crippling the nation.

It’s agreed short-term survival measures such as jobkeeper were effective and implemented quickly however, now 18-months on, we still have no clear national long-term strategy to lead us out of this mess according to Australian Regional Tourism Chair, Coralie Bell

‘Small business remains at the front line of this ongoing debacle. The opening and closing of state borders and the state-based approach to restrictions is a joke” Mrs Bell said.

“Enough is enough. Cities are empty. Any business that is located more than 3 hours from a major city is empty. If you’re on a border town – heaven help you, you are the forgotten people.”

Calling out current piecemeal approaches by states and territories, Australian Regional Tourism reiterated the tourism sector support for health considerations.

“This is not about health and safety. Everybody knows health should come first. This is about leadership of a country and an ability for states and territories to put aside egos and work across borders for the greater good of Australian citizens and business, it's an embarrassment.” Mrs Bell said.

“In WA, you may find yourself singing “Welcome to the Hotel California”, because life seems great and you can pretend covid doesn't exist - but you can never leave! with the Premier continuing to enforce hard closures with no end in sight, pointing fingers at the naughty big sister, NSW.

If you’re in NSW, you’re going to need vaccination proof to leave your home it seems, as international media start to question if Australia really is a free country. And in Qld – well, you can sit in a stadium and watch the footy! Hurrah”

If we can’t even get our own backyards straight, how are we ever to return to a place where international visitors feel confident to travel. We should be ashamed’. Mrs Bell said.

Governments have had ample time to address industry priorities and strengthen the regional business outlook, however we are yet to see any real and meaningful action. Industry is tired of the bickering and hearing the same thing over and over.

Without a clear and coordinated National strategy we have no pathway to rebuild what once was a $138 billion dollar industry, and the backbone of Australia.

Michelle Landry