Op-Ed: Coronavirus exposes our industry’s glass jaw
The tourism industry/visitor economy has been riding the crest of a wave for over a decade.
Suddenly, our world crashed. Between the bushfires, the floods, the sleeping giant of the drought and, in January, the emergence of the novel coronavirus.
Bad luck normally runs in 3s but this has exposed the industry’s lack of preparation and highlights its glass jaw.
The time is right to push the reset button on our Industry, the Visitor Economy. Our operators need to step up to the plate. There are many different scenarios/issues that are not being addressed.
I have held a positions of Chair for several associations local, state and national and witnessed much argy bargy, low levels of collaboration and at the national level much breast beating that each Association is the peak Industry body (Gods knows what that means?).
What we need to witness is the tourism bodies of Australia working closely together etc at this time when crisis calls for creative solutions.
The Industry is extremely fragile at present. We need leadership that can advise the Government re planning that will take the Industry to new levels.
At the national level a sensible approach is required, an approach that can consolidate the Industry.
- The Australian Local Government Association’s delivery of a National Tourism policy.
- A clear definition of International Visitors. Should students be included? Re-defining International spend.
- A National Farmers Federation Agri-tourism Policy.
- Development and planning law reviews in all States
- Understanding the different needs of Metro to Regional Australia.
- Regional Air Services.
- A much need discussion on fast train technology.
- Liberalising visa categories.
- Rapidly improving connectivity for regional Australia
- Ensuring that visitor economy priorities are better factored into government infrastructure planning.
- Tackling the barriers that insurance pose for many operators
- Reviewing the industry’s skills and training needs and how to more flexibly deliver training to meet the situation of the industry’s large number of small and geographically dispersed operators.
- Ensuring that resourcing the development of the industry is not all about providing funding for just marketing and events.
Fortunately time is on our side, modern technology is on our side. We need to develop long term plans that prepare the Industry for new challenges and opportunities.
For those that believe we can just flick the switch and the visitors will return -think again. Our world will be different, our consumers will have a different mindset and the economy, the supply chain and our consumers’ spend will have changed. We as an industry need to plan for this as all the marketing in the world can’t put money in people’s/travellers pockets to spend on short-term breaks or holidaying at home.
This crisis is an opportunity for the tourism industry to move beyond old habits and to re-set. It’s a great moment for collaborative leadership.
Involved in tourism, yes, a dinosaur, in fact he published Australia’s first four colour weekly newspaper.
Chair Australian Regional Tourism Network 2011 to 2016. Chair Tourism Snowy Mountains and Board member 2007 to 2010. Chair of FORTO Forum of Regional Tourism Organisation NSW. Member of Federal taskforce tourism beyond 2020. Member of Federal tourism forecasting committee. Tourism Operator Elm Cottage 2003 to present.
Elm Cottage was transformed from a drought ravaged overstocked rural property into a multi-award winning rural retreat, Recognised across the globe in providing a luxury rural retreat, a destination in it’s own right.
Part owner of the Monaro Media Group, David is passionate about the development of the Visitor Economy in regional Australia and understands more than most the importance of enabling infrastructure, connectivity and that LGA’s and SME’s are the foundation stones to the industry.
