Tourism progress "not satisfactory", says TA chief

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Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan has admitted he is unhappy with the industry’s progress as it strives to reach its lofty 2020 goals.

He described the current trend as “not satisfactory” and called on a “partnership” approach to reach the top end of the financial targets.

The tourism agency has ambitions to generate overnight expenditure of between $115 billion and $140b by 2020, targets that were “very steep and very aggressive”, O’Sullivan said.

The industry is currently tracking at the bottom end of those figures.

Speaking at the Tourism and Transport Forum Outlook conference in Sydney on Friday, O’Sullivan, now in his seventh week at Tourism Australia, praised the vision for giving the industry a “uniting objective” and “quantifiable target”.

“But from my own perspective the trend is not satisfactory,” he told delegates. “The $115b, to put it in a university context, is probably a pass conceded.

“As an industry, I want us to focus on how we get well into the range towards $140b and wherever possible, how we can exceed that.

“It is very important for our own organisation, and as an industry, that we continue to work together and collaborate and innovate."

The onus will be on Tourism Australia to drive the industry forward and achieve the top end targets "as quickly as possible", he added.

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