Victorian Tourism Industry Council warns of losing tourism dollars to NSW & QLD

Melbourne Flinders Street Train Station in Australia at sunset
Edited by Travel Weekly


    The Victorian Government has been urged to invest in tourism by relaunching the Melbourne Airport Rail Link and dropping taxes among other measures by the Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) to prevent losing money to other states.

    In a priorities submission ahead of the May state budget, the VTIC said that despite $38b flowing into the state’s economy in 2023, the government must act now to drive demand and prevent leaking dollars to rival states NSW and Queensland.

    Currently, NSW reeled in the most tourism spend with $51b last year with Queensland seeing $41b and the chief executive of VTIC, Felicia Mariani hopes to see $16b growth (to $53b) by 2028.

    “We now sit at $37.8bn in total spend from visitors to our state; it is an achievement we should be proud of, but the job is not done and Victoria cannot afford to take its foot off the pedal,” she said.

    “Visit Victoria needs to be funded more than one year at a time to go out confidently, engage in contracts and undertake promotional activities”

    One key sticking point for the VTIC is the 7.5 per cent tax on short-stay properties on platforms like Airbnb, particularly in the regions.

    “The short-stay accommodation tax has been put into place, supposedly to try and encourage people to move their properties from short stay to longer-term rentals,” Mariani continued.

    “The reality is, this tax is not going to achieve that outcome. The owners are just going to pass the tax on to customers,” which she says would affect ­regional Victoria where tourism was already “softening”.

    The submission also reiterated the importance of accessibility and called for $50m to build a train station at Avalon Airport to promote more travel to the under-utilised flight hub.

    Latest News

    • Conferences

    Cvent Accelerate Sydney finds event growth will come from pre-, during and post-event data

    Cvent, an industry-leading meetings, events and hospitality technology provider, has concluded its third edition of Cvent Accelerate in Sydney, where technology’s role in catapulting growth was front and centre. The 341 attendees were challenged to think how they are currently using data and additional ways to unlock its potential, particularly across marketing, in scaling event […]

    • Food & Beverage

    Four Seasons Hotel Sydney popular Aperitivo returns to Grain Bar

    Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is relaunching its popular Aperitivo, now located in the George St venue’s award-winning Grain Bar. Originally launched into Mode Kitchen & Bar in 2023, Aperitivo is inspired by the classic Italian evening ritual where guests enjoy a cocktail, paired with traditional Italian antipasti bites. It became a much-loved offering for Sydneysiders […]

    • Hotels

    nb_ OUTRIGGER Kona Resort and Spa completes US$60 million renovation

    Hawai’i’s OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa has completed its US$60 million (AU$90 million) renovation as is once again ready to welcome guests to Keauhou, a name that signifies “New Era”. The revitalised 511 guest rooms/suites and meeting spaces blend the property’s heritage and reverence for voyaging with modern aesthetics. The concept of “koi au” inspired […]

    • Events

    Merlin Venues Sydney partners with bespoke catering

    Merlin Venues Sydney, the events arm of Merlin Entertainments, has announced a new partnership with Sydney-based culinary experts, Bespoke Catering ahead of its event season. Merlin Venues Sydney hosts a range of unique public and private events across their four leading attractions in the city. These include the iconic SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE […]

    • Business
    • Events
    • Exhibitions

    Sprintr launches world’s first 100% recyclable kiosk for delegate registration

    Sprintr has launched its sustainable, lightweight, modular EcoKiosk for delegate registrations, to support the events industry in reducing its carbon footprint. Made from Re-Board® Technology, a durable, versatile, lightweight, printable and 100 percent recyclable product, this impressive design gives the business events industry the option to reduce their environmental impact and deliver on sustainability KPIs. […]