ARAMA goes national to drive new opportunities for management rights industry
The management rights industry has received wide voter support from its members to operate as a national body in recognition of the economic growth of the tourist and accommodation sector as one of the major contributors to Australia’s booming visitor and holiday industries.
The spiraling Australia-wide tourism growth has seen the industry mushroom in centres across the nation as the major economic growth industry in key regions throughout the nation with record numbers of international visitors joining Australians in embracing tourism and tourism resources investment.
Tourism and visitor travel are now Australia’s largest economic growth industry.
However, the industry continues to compete with the historic and traditional visitor global attractions to ensure that we continue to sustain the market growth, which has developed through the expansion of air service and cruise ship itineraries looking to continue to grow the travel and visitor markets
The formalisation of ARAMA as a national body has been embraced by our members through a formal election process to ensure that the management rights industry can play a great national and international role in the further development and expansion of the facilities, resources and professional management of Australian’s diversity of tourist accommodation facilities.
The management rights industry was pioneered in Australia by accommodation operators on the Gold Coast more than 50 years ago and has now spread to coastal centres, capital cities and other Asian and Pacific destinations for both short-term holiday and permanent living in a variety of density-living complexes.
Resident managers who operate Australia’s management rights industry with 24/7 services have, in the past, confined their industry activities to regional and state-based administration.
However, as the accommodation industry continues to grow, it became apparent that ARAMA and its members need to embrace national issues with the various accommodation sectors and the tourist and travel industries for the continuing rapid growth and diversity of the tourist, travel and accommodation industry.
Our new national board will focus on relating directly with all levels of government across Australia and with key industry stakeholders to co-ordinate a national strategy to maximise opportunities building on the established regional strengths that ARAMA has been an integral part of developing for the successful day-to-day administration of the accommodation industry for owners, guests and residents.
Essentially, the new national board formalises the pioneering initiatives that have been developed by the industry through ARAMA members while ensuring that our “hands-on expertise” further grows the density-living industry operations across the nation.
The national approach will build relationships with the key stakeholders, especially all levels of government, that are now recognising the important contribution of the regional and national economy with the adverse changes in many traditional industries due to new technology and changing workplace conditions.
There have been some interesting current statistics that indicate the growth and challenges that expansion requires and as a Queensland-based administrator where three major tourist airports are under expansion. It shows confidence in the demand on the future of holiday travel.
I am sure that these issues will be repeated elsewhere but in Cairns, for example, the airport saw five million passengers last week for the first time ever in any 12-month period.
Cairns hosted the Cairns Ironman for the sixth consecutive year and there was a complete sell-out, with 3500 worldwide competitors and their families in three days injecting over $10 million into the Cairns economy.
Events of culture, entrainment and sports are just part of the tourist and travel industry.
The Great Barrier Reef, the Kimberley’s, the outback and the coastal resorts that are uniquely Australian are being featured across the world
We have seen a 27 percent increase in Chinese tourism in the last 12 months and a nine percent growth in domestic tourism, which means more Australians are choosing to holiday in Queensland and this growth is being replicated in all states.
We are now able to present management rights as a national operation, which is a vital component of the successful growth of the Australian accommodation and tourism industry.
While we have much work to undertake in representing the industry, the initiative allows the industry to have a structure to operate at all levels of administration.
I trust that we can encourage more industry members who are not already associated with ARAMA to join with us in taking the business of Australia’s management rights industry to new opportunities for the benefit of the national economy.
Eric is the National President of ARAMA. Australian Resident Accommodation Managers Association (ARAMA) is a membership based, not for profit, peak industry body which represents the interests of people who are involved in Management Rights.
