Fed: Arrivals drop 50,000 in March

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Fed: Arrivals drop 50,000 in March

By Chris Herde

BRISBANE, April 28 AAP - Tourism groups have urged the federal government to injectmillions of dollars into the ailing Australian tourism industry hit by the war on Iraqand the SARS crisis.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) preliminary arrival figures today revealed a50,000 plunge in visitors to Australia in March, or a 10.7 per cent decline compared tothe same month in 2002.

The Australian Tourism Export Council and TTF Australia want urgent action from the government.

TTF Australia chief executive Christopher Brown said major competitors such as Singapore,Thailand and Hong Kong have embarked on massive marketing funding programs to attractmore tourists.

"We're not asking for corporate welfare," Mr Brown said.

"We want a well-structured recovery package incorporating public health, marketingand tax concessions."

With airlines cutting back services and people reluctant to travel, the hardest hitmarkets in March were from Britain (down 19.7 per cent), New Zealand (down 9.4 per cent)and Japan (13.6 per cent).

Overall out of Asia there were almost 20,000 less visitors to Australia, a 10.6 percent drop compared to March 2002.

Tourism authorities warn with fears over the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome increasing,the April and May figures were expected to be worse.

Mr Brown called on the Commonwealth and state governments sit down with the industryand craft a recovery package for tourism.

He said the $17 billion inbound tourism sector has had two years of grief - with shockslike September 11, the collapse of Ansett, drought, bushfires and the Gulf War, followedby SARS.

But federal Tourism Minister Joe Hockey said the government and the industry have alreadybeen working a number of initiatives through the National Tourism Crisis Response plan.

"The federal government is aware that the tourism industry is doing it tough and thatwe are yet to see the full impact of the SARS virus on tourism to Australia," he said.

"We are looking at a range of initiatives that will help the tourism industry to capitaliseon Australia's reputation as a safe and healthy destination."

Mr Hockey said Australia could not be compared to countries like Singapore and HongKong whose tourism industries depend upon overseas visitors.

He said Australia was in a far better position with domestic tourism making up 70 percent of the industry.

"We will be looking at a way we can help boost the domestic tourism industry in thenext couple of months," Mr Hockey said.

He said Australia would have a structured "forensic approach" to meet the crisis.

A major component of the plan will be flexibility in the marketing plans to target"robust" sectors like backpackers and self-funded retires in Japan, New Zealand and theUnited States.

Other countries not badly affected by SARS like India and South Africa would also be targeted.

AAP ch/sc/sco/br

KEYWORD: ARRIVALS NIGHTLEAD