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Domestic visitor numbers hide regional woes
The green shoots of recovery in the domestic tourism industry risk being trampled on by the new tax regime coming into force, the industry’s peak body Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) has warned.
TTF chief John Lee said figures from the latest National Visitor Survey for he first quarter 2012 were encouraging. "We’re seeing domestic visits up five per cent, nights up six per cent and expenditure up 10%, which is proof that the industry is fighting back.
"But look a little deeper and you see that the figures confirm what most people in the industry already know: the growth is not evenly spread across states.
"It’s no secret that sectors of the industry are struggling. Queensland figures are especially strong relative to the state’s disastrous first quarter of 2011 (due to flooding), while the apparent boom in West Australian traffic reflects the boom in that state’s mining sector," Lee said.
"This growth is at risk, however, by new taxes about to hit the sector. There will be the carbon tax from July 1, which will be compounded by an increase in the departure tax, which will hit international visitors transferring to domestic flights.
"Finally, major airports will also have to pay for Australian Federal Police presence, despite taxpayers having already paid for policing."
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