Page 275 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 31 May 1989
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absolutely essential to better promotion. Training will be addressed as a separate issue by my colleague Mr Humphries. We regard it as having that significance.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I would like to register my disappointment with the Labor Government in not ensuring that tourism was recognised in the Deputy Chief Minister's portfolio title, thus liberating it from its current poor cousin status. If the Labor Government is genuine about the recognition that the tourism industry provides enormous opportunities for growth and diversification of the ACT economy, it deserves that liberation and rightful recognition as a very valuable and important industry.
MR JENSEN (11.04): Mr Speaker, much has been said about the need for the development of the ACT tourist industry as a saviour of the economy of the ACT. There is no doubt that this industry will play a key role in the development of Canberra and its ability for us to pay our way. However, there is more to just paying lip service to the industry and there is a requirement for an integrated approach to the development of it. By 'integrated approach' I refer to the three sectors which can and must have an influence on the industry if it is to play the major role that we require it to do.
I refer firstly to our ACT Government, the ACT tourist industry itself and, of course, the Federal Government. After all, the latter has a major effect on the development of this industry because it could be argued that without the Federal Government there would be no Canberra - no show without Punch, as they say. But I will return to its contribution to the industry later in my remarks.
Another area of importance for the tourist industry in the ACT is the need to fit in with our region. When one is considering the importance of the industry and its promotion this is one area where much work still has to be done. The key to good promotion and marketing, Mr Speaker, is to decide firstly what we have to sell and then work out who we are trying to attract, and then put it all together to decide on this marketing strategy.
I suggest that vision is what we are after. The tourist industry in all its facets and those who administer the policy must have that vision, and that is what we in the Residents Rally will be looking for in the administration of policy in this area. It is no good just pouring money down a marketing drain unless we have firmly sorted out what that strategy is to be.
A very good starting point for the development of this strategy could probably be the May 1988 issue of a publication put out by the Civic Advance Bank called "Trends", which not only provided a good summary of the problems facing the industry but also suggested that we in Canberra must work together, just as we must in this place, to change the image of Canberra as a boring place to visit.
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