Page 824 - Week 03 - Thursday, 25 March 1993
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TOURISM COMMISSION - ADVISORY BOARD
Ministerial Statement
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (3.07): Madam Speaker, I ask for leave of the Assembly to make a ministerial statement on the advisory board of the ACT Tourism Commission.
Leave granted.
MS FOLLETT: I thank members. Madam Speaker, I am sure that all members will join me in congratulating the ACT tourism industry on the wonderful results it has achieved over the past 18 months. Neither my Government nor the industry is content to be complacent or simply rely on the steadily growing levels of tourism activity that have been confirmed by the recently released Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. The advisory board of the ACT Tourism Commission has been most successful in giving effect to the Government's streamlining of the Tourism Commission and should be justly proud of the result it has achieved. Now is the time to take the next step forward.
I have made four new appointments to the advisory board to give effect to that next step. I am glad to be able to tell the house that I have appointed Mr Charles Wright, the principal of the Wright corporate group, to be chair of the advisory board of the ACT Tourism Commission. Mr Wright brings a wealth of experience in government and public relations. Members may recall that Mr Wright played a leading role in the Welcome Home march for Vietnam veterans last October and also in the construction and dedication of the Vietnam veterans memorial in Canberra. Madam Speaker, there is general consensus that events are a crucial element in success in marketing the ACT. Mr Wright's skills in events organisation will be most welcome.
I have also appointed Ms Betty Churcher, the director of the Australian National Gallery, to be a member of the advisory board. Ms Churcher has been an extremely successful director of the gallery and has done much to contribute towards the growth in tourism that the ACT has experienced recently. Her experience and perspective will be most valuable. I believe that it is essential that we cooperate fully with the national institutions in ensuring that Australians experience the Federal Government's national attractions. Ms Churcher's advice will be of immense value.
Mr Ron Murray, managing director of Murray's Coaches, board member of the Canberra region campaign and well-known Canberra businessman, is another appointment to the board. His broad experience in the inbound tourism market and his national perspective will broaden the advice that the board is able to provide. Mr Murray's intimate knowledge of the inbound tourism market and his extensive contacts in Japan will assist the commission in its expansion into overseas marketing.
I have also appointed Mr Samir Harmouche. Mr Harmouche will be well known to members as the general manager of the award winning Hyatt Hotel in Canberra. He is also the deputy chair of the Canberra Visitor and Convention Bureau and brings a lifetime of experience in the international hotel industry. Mr Harmouche's extensive knowledge of the Canberra tourism industry will be a valuable asset to the board.
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