MP Shadow Minister for Tourism, Anthony Albanese is expecting Trade Minister Andrew Robb to front answers for his government’s "disinterest" in the Australian tourism sector to industry leaders attending the Tourism and Transport Forum Leadership Summit in Canberra today.
“Tourism is central to the Australian economy,” Albanese said.
“Tony Abbott has shown little interest, failing to appoint a Minister for Tourism and tacking the sector on to Mr Robb’s trade portfolio as an afterthought.”
Albanese labelled Robb as a "poor advocate" for the sector after being “locked out” of Tony Abbott’s competitiveness agenda released earlier this month, saying the move risked “billions of dollars in potential revenue and thousands of jobs".
“Tourism is Australia’s largest services export, employs nearly one million people and contributes more than $105 billion to the Australian economy each year,” Albanese said.
“While food and agribusiness, mining, medical technology and manufacturing made the list, tourism has been left out in the cold.
“This is further evidence that Trade Minister Andrew Robb is failing to champion this critical sector at the Cabinet table.”
According to Albanese, since coming to office Robb has “dismantled support for Australia’s tourism industry, cutting grants to regional tourism operators, slashing a long-running Australian Bureau of Statistics survey relied upon by investors and abandoning all marketing of domestic tourism”.
Albanese stressed that under the previous Labor government, 280,000 tourism businesses were eligible for advice under the Enterprise Connect scheme, which have also been excluded for assistance under the Abbott government’s business advice scheme.
Pic credit: Daily Telegraph
