BIG YEAR AHEAD FOR TOURISM


Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the State Government is investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into campaigns throughout the next year to boost regional and city tourism and support jobs and local business.

A new $260 million airport, a full program of major summer festivals and the State’s growing reputation for top quality food and wine point to a big year ahead in tourism.
Dr Lomax-Smith said that “We expect this major focus on building tourism activity to help the State pick up from a dip in domestic tourism figures for the 12 months ending 30 June 2005 – a non-festival year in SA.”

Compared with the previous year, overall domestic travellers to and within South Australia were down 9% to5.3 million while nights were down 10 per cent to 19.7 million nights.

“There has been a fall in domestic visitor numbers as part of a national trend in most States. Reasons are varied and include cheap airfares within Australia, the strength of the Australian dollar and record levels of Australians taking overseas holidays. Locally, last year we had one of our busiest festival periods on record and this year we didn’t have those festivals to boost visitor numbers."

“We are putting the finishing touches to a campaign to be launched in November to capitalise on our jam-packed events season which kicks off in January next year.

Festivities to be publicised include the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts, Adelaide Fringe Festival, WOMADelaide, Clipsal 500, Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under, the 2006 Adelaide Cup Carnival, Next Generation Hardcourt Championships and the Adelaide Jacob’s Creek Golf Open.

Media release here