In Port Macquarie with the Nationals candidate for Lyne, David Gillespie, I heard from local businesses about what Labor’s industrial relations policies mean for the tourism industry. Many businesses in regional towns have told me they now close at key times because they can’t afford to pay staff penalty rates.
The Coalition will urge the Fair Work Commission to consider the impact of penalty rates on business when making rulings on pay and conditions.
The 2011-12 Tourism Satellite Account produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics was released on 26 April, revealing:
The industry generates $25.5 billion of exports and sees $32.3 billion of imports, leading to a tourism trade deficit of $6.8 billion.
| Tina MacFarlane, the Country Liberals candidate for Lingiari, and I recently visited Ayers Rock Resort to meet with the resort management, local tourism operators and tourists. I was alarmed to learn Labor’s carbon tax has hit a $700,000 hole in the Resort’s bottom line. This is the last thing the Resort needs at a time when they are dealing with the effects of the high Australian dollar and a changing aviation landscape. |
| With the Budget just a week away, what will the Gillard Government deliver for tourism?
A look at the Government’s Budget papers since 2007 show Labor’s priorities in the tourism portfolio have been all about building the bureaucracy at the expense of investing in tourism marketing. While funding for Tourism Australia has gone backwards by 4.1%, the cost of the Canberra tourism bureaucracy has grown by a whopping 193%. If all of the increases in the Canberra bureaucracy were instead put into marketing our country overseas, Labor could have doubled the annual Tourism Australia expenditure in Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. What’s worse, the Government has also whacked the tourism industry with new and increased taxes, including the carbon tax, a 53% increase in tourist visa fees and a 45% increase in the tourist departure tax. |
The Gillard Government’s internal leadership battle has hit the tourism industry, with the resignation of tourism minister Martin Ferguson following Kevin Rudd’s aborted leadership coup recently.
The tourism bureaucracy also has a new leadership team with the secretary, deputy secretary and head of tourism division moving in following the Governm
ent’s decision to abolish the climate change department and redistribute staff to other departments.
While the Gillard Government has being playing musical chairs in Canberra, I have been travelling around Australia meeting as many of you as I can to listen to your ideas about how we can grow our tourism industry.
I am concerned about the number of tourism operators I have spoken to who have complained about the impact the lack of consumer confidence is having on the industry. Clearly, the Gillard Government’s divisions and dysfunction are hurting tourism.
Last month, according to Westpac, we saw consumer confidence tumble by 5.1%. If we want to grow the tourism industry we need to get confidence growing again. Only the Coalition can deliver a Government that is focused on delivering a strong and prosperous economy.
GOLD COAST, QLD (Tuesday 7 May, 2013) Wyndham in the Asia Pacific, a division of the world’s largest hospitality company, has today unveiled its new dynamic and interactive company website.
Wyndham in the Asia Pacific encompasses three business arms: Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, WorldMark South Pacific Club by Wyndham and Wyndham Hotel Group in the South Pacific, which are all part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of companies.
Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific is the largest vacation ownership business in Australia with a network of 24 resorts located across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and more than 46,000 vacation owners in its WorldMark South Pacific Club.
The company’s brand new website, which houses approximately 1,200 pages, came to fruition after three years in the making and months of project management, design concepts, content development, branding and web design.
Wyndham’s four separate websites, including the existing Wyndham Hotel Group and WorldMark South Pacific Club websites, have been completely redesigned and consolidated into one central online hub, making it easier to navigate and locate information.
New sections have also been created to service the different business areas including vacation ownership, hotel development, special offers, affiliate marketing, media centre and careers.
“I am very excited to announce the launch of our new website, which will align our various business units in the Asia Pacific into one central website,” said Barry Robinson, CEO and Managing Director of Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific.
“It will help to service our vacation owners and customers with the best overall experience possible, while keeping in line with our mission to make holiday dreams come true,” Mr Robinson added.
New and improved features include a dynamic world map linking to the individual resorts; a dedicated media centre with news, media releases and image library; and a new blog called Layne’s Travels by Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific Ambassador and seven-time world surfing champion Layne Beachley.
A major highlight of the website is that it is responsive to smart devices, tablets and smartphones, providing visitors access while on the go.
View a brief demonstration of the new site here or visit www.wyndhamAP.com for additional information.
It appears that there is a ‘rogue’ group working in Phuket, scamming tourists offering holidays around the world for $x amount which can be redeemed for 1 week stays at timeshare properties throughout the world.
Upon viewing the website there are a number of Australian properties listed upon their site.
One person has paid over $10,000 in exchange for 30 weeks that cannot be redeemed.
Always be very careful. If it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is.
2013 NATIONAL CONFERENCE
2-4 September 2013
Hotel Grand Chancellor, Surfers Paradise Boulevard – Surfers Paradise QLD Australia
Topic Highlights:
Visit the Conference website for details as they come to hand – www.athocconference.com.au
22nd ANNUAL INDUSTRY AWARDS NIGHT
The National Awards Night this year will be held once again at the Gold Coast Arts Centre on Friday 19 July 2013 which will commence at 7pm for 7-30pm. This year, our theme is Christmas in July with a menu to suit. We are asking every-one to bring an unwrapped girls or boys present to put under the Xmas tree which we will be donating to the Salvation Army.
Criteria for the Awards has been emailed out with a deadline for all submissions by COB Wednesday 8 May. Judging will commence from Monday 3 June until Tuesday 18 June. Please let us know if you have not received the nomination forms.
We are looking for more prizes for our raffle for the night with all proceeds going to the ATHOC Foundation, and would appreciate any donations that you might like to give.
2013 AUSTRALIAN TIMESHARE RACE DAY
This is a brand new exciting event for ATHOC this year. It will be held at The Gold Coast Turf Club in the Dome on Saturday 29 June. It will be a buffet lunch with drinks included at a cost of $95 per person. Tables of 10 can be booked to ensure that you are seated together.
This will be a fantastic major event open for every-one to attend and also to bring their partners and friends. It will be a fun-filled day with competitions such as Fashions of the Field for men and women, best hat and lots more, so therefore we encourage every-one to really dress up for the day. Information will be sent out shortly or check out our website.
The Industry is sponsoring the full race day of 7 races which will be names after our sponsors. Sponsorship will be available for $750 for ATHOC Sponsor and $1100 for others.
An illustrated “green team” has been spreading an important message to children staying at Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific properties over the school holidays to demonstrate the importance of recycling, reusing and reducing our impact on the planet.
Wynnie the Wallaby’s Green Adventure was launched across hotels and resorts managed by the Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific group in early 2011 and due to the program’s popularity another two wildlife characters, native to the South Pacific, have been introduced to spread the message even further.
Wynnie and Friends Green Adventure introduces Koru the Kiwi from New Zealand and Tiko the Turtle from Fiji who will join the existing character Wynnie the Wallaby, teaching children about these native animals and the importance of preserving their environment.
The children’s environmental program has been expanded in conjunction with the company’s Wyndham Green initiative which continuously strives to reduce its environmental impact with a number of programs and initiatives.
Wynnie and Friends includes a new-look activity booklet featuring Wynnie, Tiko and Koru, incorporating environmental messages with games including quizzes, crosswords and a board game.
Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific’s top employees were given the experience of a lifetime recently thanks to the company’s 2013 President’s Club Conference in Bora Bora, Tahiti.
Wyndham’s 29 top sales employees attended the prestigious conference along with six annual “Promise Award” winners, selected through the company’s peer voted recognition program.
The group experienced team building activities such as pearl dives, jeep tours, cooking classes and aqua safari excursions and attended a number of motivational workshops during the trip.
The most elite sales employees were also rewarded with a trip to the surprise destination of Queenstown, New Zealand.
Wyndham has announced that its 2014 President’s Club Conference will be held in Egypt.
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