Minister Barr: Booming tourism sector creating jobs and boosting economy
- Written by ACT Government
Released 04/04/2018
One in seven new jobs created in the ACT is in the tourism sector and tourism employment growth has outpaced overall employment growth, according to Tourism Research Australia data released today.
This comes as no surprise as we continue to see unprecedented growth in our tourism industry. The government has worked with industry to help diversify our economy away from reliance on the federal public service and to create jobs in new industries.
Lonely Planet naming Canberra as one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2018 demonstrates the recognition that our city is now receiving.
The ACT Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) shows of the 217,000 jobs in the ACT for 2016-17, tourism generated 16,800 jobs—an estimated 1,100 more than the previous financial year. This represents a 7.1 per cent increase for tourism growth when compared to the 3.1 per cent general ACT employment growth.
Tourism’s contribution to the ACT’s gross state product (GSP) grew 9.5 per cent between 2015-16 and 2016-17, the second highest nationally behind Tasmania and ahead of the national average of 5.6 per cent. The total contribution tourism made to the ACT’s GSP for 2016-17 was estimated at $2.3 billion, comprising a $1.1 billion direct contribution and $1.1 million indirect contribution.
The Government continues to support major events that build on our appeal to a wide tourist market. With a second international airline now flying directly to Canberra, we have opened our doors even further allowing people to reach our capital easily and quickly through Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.
Strong performances in both interstate and international visitation have driven the GSP growth, with strong visitation and overnight expenditure to the ACT tracked by Tourism Research Australia in recent years.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
