Policy & Advocacy

Accommodation Australia NSW works extensively in policy and advocacy across a broad spectrum of issues to ensure travel and tourism remains at the forefront of the minds of policy-makers. Accommodation Australia NSW holds a high level of engagement with a range of government and shadow ministers at both a state and federal level. This includes the senior advisors, departmental personnel and other key political staffers. As well as working to ensure that governments are sensitive to the needs of our members and the broader tourism industry. We also work with other leading industry organisations and maintain strong links with representatives of the main travel destinations and with travel principals and suppliers.

On behalf of members, we lobby government both at the national and state level, on a range of issues to help our members do business more easily:

  • Supporting Tourism Investment
  • Addressing Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and anti-competitive behaviours
  • Strengthening the regulatory environment for non-compliant short-term rental accommodation
  • Supporting tourism demand growth
  • Encouraging and supporting accommodation investment
  • Addressing Labour and Skills shortages
  • Driving visa reform

  The below details our submissions on the key issues affecting our sector. 

2024

June 2024: The Australia Hotels Association (AHA) and Accommodation Australia (AA) welcome the opportunity to comment on the Draft Core Skills List (CSOL) issued for consultation by Jobs & Skills Australia.

 

March 2024: Accommodation Australia NSW (AA NSW) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the discussion paper on short- and long-term rental accommodation. The current unfettered growth in short-term rental accommodation (STRA) is of major importance to our industry.

 

March 2024: Accommodation Australia NSW (AA NSW) welcomed the opportunity to submit recommendations relating to the NSW Budget for 2024-25. The submission identifies four key issues for consideration by the Government including tourism and events funding, the need for greater investment in skills for hospitality, migration and support for a more rigorous approach to regulation of short-term rental accommodation.

2023

Sept 2023: The accommodation sector is at the core of the visitor economy, employing over 110,000 Australians.  Like other sectors connected with tourism, accommodation businesses have suffered through a difficult three years and have not yet fully recovered the ground lost during the pandemic.   In particular, the sector is still being negatively impacted by the fact that international tourism has not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.  As this submission makes clear, improved aviation access from international visitor source countries to Australia is of critical importance to the accommodation sector.  Decisions taken through the Bilateral Agreement process need to balance the needs of aviation as well as the tourism industry and travellers in order to achieve a sustainable competitive market.

Sept 2023: The accommodation sector is at the core of the visitor economy, employing over 110,000 Australians, down from pre-COVID level of around 127,000. Economic value-add to tourism of the accommodation sector at $4.5 billion in 2021-22 is also showing some recovery but still considerably short of the $6.2 billion in 2018-19.

Aug 2023: Thank you for the opportunity for Accommodation Australia (AA) to comment on the proposed annual work plan process for Jobs & Skills Australia (JSA).  Overall, the proposed process looks comprehensive and appropriate to the important task given to JSA.  Our reflections on what is proposed are outlined below for your consideration.

Jan 2023: The Accommodation Association (AAoA) and Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) are pleased to provide the following submission to The Treasury and Australian Trade and Investment Commission’s consultation process into Online bookings – restrictions on tourism and accommodation providers setting prices.  This submission reflects the views of our smaller and independent accommodation providers and has been created by the Associations to provide our views on the specific issues around ensuring smaller and independent accommodation providers can set their own prices.

Jan 2023: Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) and the Accommodation Association of Australia (AAoA) welcomes the opportunity to make a pre-budget submission for 2023 - 2024. 

2022

2022 - 23 Pre-Budget Submission
Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) and the Accommodation Association welcomes the opportunity to make a pre-budget submission for 2022 - 2023.

TAA and the Accommodation Association recognises the importance of working with Government departments and stakeholders and we have a demonstrated history of achievement in working with Federal, State and Local Government, law enforcement agencies, educators, universities, and other organisations, never more so than over the last 24 months.

Prior to COVID-19, tourism had been identified as the super-growth sector of Australia’s transitioning economy, with a total tourist consumption of $143 billion, which saw $57.3 billion in GDP contributed to the economy (comprising 3.1% of the national total), and employment of 646,000 persons (5.2% of the Australian workforce).1 Confidence and investment had supported the recent strong performance of the sector which has outpaced national growth rate for the last three years.