According to new research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), 2017 was a record year for the travel and tourism sector in Australia, with it contributing $19.5 billion to the Australian economy, making Australia the 12th largest travel economy in the world.
The report found that travel and tourism made up 12.2 per cent of all employment in Australia last year with 1.5 million jobs dependant on the sector. That figure is set to increase to 1.7 million jobs by 2028. And while the wider economy grew by 2.2 per cent, the travel sector grew by 2.3 per cent in 2017.
“Travel and Tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies. This is particularly the case in Australia, the 12th largest tourism economy in the world and home to some of the world’s most iconic sights. Over the last few years, Australia has led the world in the use of technology to drive tourism growth through visa facilitation and has reaped the benefits through increased visitors,” stated Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of WTTC.
Many pub and small bar operators, particularly in larger metro areas or coastal regional areas, have targeted the tourist dollar for their venues, but this latest WTTC report suggests that tourism is becoming an increasingly significant sector for the on-premise market to cater to.
Jaz Mooney, managing director of national pub group Pelathon, said recently at the Pub Leaders Summit that tourism is a sector that his business is increasingly focusing on, particularly for venues like the Grand Central Hotel in Brisbane’s CBD, and the Grand Hotel in Cairns.
“Tourism is absolutely flying in Australia. I look to every tourist market in Australia that is going up by huge amounts. So anything to attract the tourist, obviously [we look to].”