Service standards need to be at the fore if Australian tourism is to keep the Chinese market in the ‘magic millions’ club – Martin Ferguson, TAA Growing the Chinese inbound market to over one million visitors is a triumph for Australian tourism, says Tourism Accommodation Chair (TAA) Chair, Martin Ferguson, but the industry will need to be able to access higher-levels of skilled workers if Australia is to continue growing the market. In figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), China increased its visitor numbers to Australia by 21.6% (177,900) to 1,001,200 in the year ending November 2015. Mr Ferguson, a former
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TAA responds to NSW Collaborative Economy Position Paper
‘Collaborative’ economy must be more about ‘contributing’ to the economy, rather thanjust ‘taking’ – TAA responds to NSW Collaborative Economy Position Paper Australia’s peak accommodation body, Tourism Accommodation Australia, welcomed the NSW Government’s commitment to addressing the issues caused by the expansion of new so‐called ‘collaborative’ economy, but called for urgent regulation of commercial short‐term accommodation operators. The dramatic growth of unregulated short‐term accommodation, fuelled by internet booking sites such as Airbnb, had seen the original concept of “room sharing” morph into a channel allowing commercial operators to rent out multiple properties without meeting many of the safety, insurance, taxation, body corporate, strata, council and
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Australian Hotels Association 2015 National Awards for Excellence
The elite of Australia’s hospitality and accommodation industry were honoured in a glittering nation-wide function held on the Gold Coast in Queensland in September 2015. Among the highlights was the induction of New South Wales hotel industry stalwart Bevan Douglas into the Johnnie Walker Hall of Fame. Mr Douglas and his family have made significant social and economic contributions to the city of Tamworth. Mr Douglas has also championed the rights of hoteliers over the past 25 years. Over 450 people, representing hotel and accommodation venues from right around the country were present at the annual awards night, held at
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Australian jobs and businesses can be boosted by cracking down on illegal offshore gambling
Media Release: Australian jobs and businesses can be boosted by cracking down on illegal offshore gambling. The Australian Hotel Association (AHA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s review of illegal offshore gambling, saying that the widespread practice was costing Australian jobs and hurting legitimate Australian businesses. The Government has estimated that there is up to $1 billion annual illegal offshore gambling, particularly targeting racing and other sports, and that, increasingly, Australian‐based organisations were attempting to avoid their legal obligations by shifting their operations offshore to unregulated international regions such as the Pacific and Asia. The review is to be led by
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Latest News and Media Release.
Productivity Commission Report Response
Media Release: Productivity Commission’s recommendations on workplace reform a “victory for common sense” says hotel sector Australia’s peak hospitality bodies, the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) and Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA), have welcomed the Productivity Commission’s draft recommendations for reforming Australia’s workplace relations and creating a more flexible system to benefit both businesses and employment. The recommendations were contained in the Productivity Commission’s draft report on Australia’s Workplace Relations Framework. On behalf of Tourism Accommodation Australia and the Accommodation Association of Australia, AHA made major submissions to the Inquiry. The report recommends more flexible working arrangements for workers in the 24/7 hospitality industry,
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Pub punters need Victorian gallop vision
Australian pubs and punters remain frustrated regarding the ongoing battle over racing vision. Media Release – Pub punters urgently need Victorian gallop vision
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Media Release – Martin Ferguson AM appointed Chair of Tourism Accommodation Australia
The appointment of highly-respected former Federal Tourism Minister, The Hon. Martin Ferguson AM, as the new Chair of Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA), gives the sector its strongest voice in Canberra for many years. Media Release – Martin Ferguson AM appointed Chair of Tourism Accommodation Australia
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