Regional tourism is coming under increasing pressure, with the cancellation and suspension of regional air routes, combined with fuel conservation messaging, impacting confidence in domestic travel.
Australian Regional Tourism (ART) says the current environment is compounding challenges for regions that are already recovering from bushfires, floods, cyclones and other natural disasters, with communities continuing to experience devastation with little reprieve.
ART acknowledges the importance of national efforts to conserve fuel, while recognising the need to balance this with the impacts on the regional tourism industry and the communities it supports.
“Demand is weakening in regions more than two hours from capital cities, with bookings down by up to 40 per cent in some areas,” said Lauren Douglass, CEO of ART.
“In some regions, forward bookings from May onwards are now almost non-existent.”
Tourism is a key driver of regional Australia and its decline is expected to have far-reaching impacts on employment, small businesses and communities. ART says once businesses in regional areas close, they are very difficult to replace.
“Regional tourism is now facing a crisis, particularly as confidence in domestic regional travel continues to weaken and it requires national leadership,” added Ms Douglass.
ART is calling for a targeted national response focused on protecting regional communities, including:
- Measures to maintain confidence in domestic regional travel, ensuring Australians continue to support regional communities when it is appropriate to do so
- Safeguarding essential regional access, including aviation connectivity
- Building regional resilience through coordinated national programs to strengthen local economies and support long-term recovery from crises
“Supporting regional tourism is not just about visitors, it’s about sustaining regional communities,” added Ms Douglass.
