EDITORIAL
Premier and Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Jeremy Rockliff
This is my first update since taking on the Hospitality portfolio, and I am looking forward to working with the industry – and each of you as our valued hospitality operators. Tasmania’s hospitality industry continues to be worId- leading, and I am very excited to be the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality. The hospitality industry is vitally important to our state’s tourism ecology and is part of the lifeblood of our regional economies. This important sector employs approximately eight per cent of Tasmanian’s workforce, and with more than two thousand operating businesses, invests millions into the Tasmanian economy. It is a particularly exciting time for our tourism and hospitality industry, as we launch the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy, which will work closely with the Tasmanian Hospitality Association’s Hospitality 2030 – a vision for the future of Tasmania’s Hospitality Industry. The 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy is a bold and ambitious plan that has come to fruition, through working hand in hand with industry to set a vision for Tasmania’s visitor economy, which will see our State continue to lead the nation. In recognition of the tourism and hospitality industry’s contribution to our economy, we have committed a further $12 million in new funding over three years, to back immediate priorities outlined in the Strategy. We know our visitor economy will continue to grow, and that’s why the Strategy is both a plan for growth, and a plan to manage growth sustainably. Every dollar spent by visitors to Tasmania adds to our economy, especially in our regions, meaning more to reinvest into health, housing, education, and transformational infrastructure to set our State up for
decades to come.
The strategy sets eight key directions to grow and manage our visitor economy based on making a positive impact to our community, economy, environment, industry, visitors, and Tasmania as a destination. Importantly, the strategy acknowledges that our workforce is industry’s most important asset. Creating more employment opportunities for Tasmanians and meaningful life-long, valuable careers is valued by our community right across the State. To manage further visitor demand, we must attract and retain more people into our workforce across all levels of the industry, including international workers, students and working holiday makers. Through the strategy, the Tasmanian Government will: • Invest in training that is fit for purpose and informed by industry feedback, including from the Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Advisory Committee; • Invest in a dynamic and responsive vocational training sector with public and private sector organisations, ensuring providers achieve training outcomes that meet industry needs; and • Grow our future workforce and jobs for younger Tasmanians through the Tasmanian Youth Jobs Strategy, including supporting initiatives within our schools focussed on career pathways, skills and training. I encourage you to take a read of the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy and Action Plan by visiting www. tourismtasmania.com.au Thank you, to all involved in our dynamic hospitality industry across every corner of our beautiful State. Your contribution – whether investors, managers, employers, and support teams is making a huge impact to our communities and economy.
15 Tasmanian Hospitality Review August/September Edition
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator