The perception of the New South Wales Government’s commitment to tourism by its allocation of funds has been the subject of some controversy in recent weeks and months with strong comments coming from a number of organisations including the Tourism Industry Council New South Wales and its Chairman, Ron Rosalky and also the Federal Minister for Tourism, Fran Bailey.
John O’Neill, Executive Director and General Manager of the New South Wales’ Government’s tourism agency Tourism New South Wales, told The Mole over the weekend that the New South Wales Government and the other state governments spend a larger percentage of their budgets on their state tourism organisations than the Federal Government spends on Tourism Australia as a proportion of its budget.
He also said that if anyone had any questions about allocation of funds to tourism in New South Wales and the New South Wales Budget, they can get the information directly from the New South Wales Treasury Budget Papers at www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/bp06-07/bpapers.htm
Regarding questions raised on the ongoing funding of Tourism New South Wales’ excellent Aboriginal New South Wales Product Manual, Mr O’Neill said, “Tourism NSW has invested more than $300,000 in producing the Aboriginal New South Wales Product Manual and we are undertaking to maintain its currency via online updates and have budgeted accordingly”.
He added, “The Manual will continue to be promoted via our Marketing and Communications teams and our Destination Services unit will continue to work with the product in the manual”.
Regarding questions raised on the New South Wales tourism industry’s support of Tourism New South Wales and comments made by Mr O’Neill that any drop in marketing funds spent by Tourism News South Wales would be as a result of an anticipated decline in partner funding, he said, “We don’t anticipate a decline in support, but we have anticipated a drop in income, because co-operative funding supports advertising and if funds are not raised there is less reach and frequency for partnered advertising”.
Report by The Mole
