Tourism investment opportunities
1.Investor proposition
Investmentopportunitiesareunderpinnedby:
•Astrong,highyieldingbusinesstravelmarketasaproportionoftotaldomestictravel(29%)(seeFigure1).
•Roomoccupancyrates(69%)thatarehigherthanthenationalaverage(seeFigure2).
•Highaverageroomtakingspernight($180).
•Aclear,partneredapproachtocontinuedtourismgrowthintheCanberraregionthroughtheACT’sTourism2020strategicframework.
•ImpendingcapacityforhandlingdirectinternationalflightsatCanberraAirport,whichhasrecentlyundergonea $480 millionupgrade.
Accordingtothemost recentTouristSatelliteAccountpublication(basedon2011–12data),thetourismindustrycontributesaround$1.65billiontothe
ACTeconomyandisoneoftheterritory’slargestprivatesectoremployers–supportinganestimated16,000 jobs.
Whileover90%oftheACT’sdomesticovernightvisitationiscurrentlysourceddomestically,theinternationalmarketoffersstronggrowthpotentialwithCanberraAirport’simpendingcapacityforhostingdirectinternationalflightservices.
China,akeygrowthmarketforAustraliantourism,iscurrentlytheACT’slargestinternationalsourcemarketwitha12%visitorshare.
FIGURE1:Touristreasonforvisiting
Canberraremainsanattractivedestinationfortourism investment:
•Itenjoysregularbusinesstravelasthenationalcapital,theseatofFederalGovernmentandasthehomeofheadofficesformanykeyGovernmentagencies.
•ItisideallylocatedbetweenAustralia’stwolargestpopulationcentresinSydneyandMelbourne–keymarketsforshortbreaktravel.
•Itishometoastunningarrayofworld-classnationalattractionsthatunlocktheessenceofAustralia.
71%
29%
ACTAustralia
81%
19%
•Itplayshosttoadiverserangeofmajoreventsthroughouttheyear.
Business
Leisureandother
•Itisrecognisedasakeyacademiccentre,withmajoruniversitiesandinternationallyrenownedscientificresearchorganisationsincludingtheCSIRO.
TheCanberraregiontourismsectorcontinuestoperformstrongly.
ThisisreflectedinthedomesticandinternationalvisitationresultsoutlinedunderFigure3andFigure4respectively.
Source:TourismResearchAustralia,NationalVisitorSurvey,
June2013
FIGURE2:Touristaccommodationdata
Sources:ABS8635.0,TouristAccommodation,June2013
FIGURE3:ACTdomestictourismdata2012–13
Visitors / 2,049,000Visitorgrowth(2011–12) / 9.0%
Visitorexpenditure* / $1.49billion
Spendingpernight** / $194
Averagelengthofstay / 3nights
*includesexpenditurebydayvisitors
**includesairfaresandlongdistancetransportcostsSource:TourismResearchAustralia,InternationalVisitorSurvey,
June2013
FIGURE4:ACTinternationaltourismdata
2012–13
Visitors180,380
Visitorgrowth(on2011–12)10.4%
Visitorexpenditure*$376million
Visitorspendpernight*$79
Averagelengthofstay26nights
*includespackageexpenditureSource:TourismResearchAustralia,InternationalVisitorSurvey,
June2013
2.Investment opportunities
•Accommodationforleisure/business/educationtravel:
- Hotelsandservicedapartments(inparticulartomeetdemandcreatedbynewinternationalmarkets/directinternationalflights)
- Lowcost/groupaccommodation(e.g.toaddressexistingsupplyconstraintsforvisitingschools)
•Conventionfacilities
- includesasignificantredevelopment/replacementopportunityfortheNationalConventionCentre(withabroaderrangeofdining,breakoutandotherancillaryfacilities)Redevelopmentorreplacementopportunity
•Sporting/eventfacilitiesandmajorsporting/stadiuminfrastructure
•DevelopmentsassociatedwithmajorgovernmentinitiativesincludingtheCitytotheLakeproject
•ThereisalsoscopeforfurtherinvestmentintheCanberraregion’seco-tourismsector,wineriesandotherexperience-basedactivities
3.Recent tourismsectorinvestment
SuccessfulprivateinvestmentsintheACTtourismsector:
•Newtouristaccommodation:
- HotelRealmprecinctinBarton
- ‘HotelHotel’,establishedaspartoftheNewActonprecinct
- TheEastHotelinKingston
•Airandlandtransportservices
- Withinvestmentinexcessof $480 million,CanberraAirport’snewterminalandsupportinginfrastructurehasdeliveredastunninggatewayforthenationalcapital
- CanberraAirportwasrecentlyawardedthetitleofAustralianAirportoftheYear
•Tourismattractions
- TheNationalZooAquarium(includingtheintroductionofon-siteaccommodation)
- TheNationalArboretumCanberra
4.Majortourismassets
•Australia’siconicnationalattractions,including:
- ParliamentHouse
- AustralianWarMemorial
- NationalGalleryofAustralia
- NationalMuseumofAustralia
- NationalLibraryofAustralia
- NationalPortraitGallery
- Questacon–TheNationalScienceTechnologyCentre
•Touristaccommodation:
- 50establishmentswith15+rooms(29x4-star,3x5-star)
- 5,000 rooms
•Asuiteof33winerieswithina30minutedriveofCanberra’scitycentre.TheCanberraWineDistrictisrenownedforproducingdistinctivecoolclimatewinesthatarereceivingnationalandinternationalacclaim.
•Eventinfrastructure:
- CanberraStadium
- ManukaOval
- StromloForestPark
- AustralianInstituteofSport(AIS)
- TheNationalConventionCentre(businessevents/meetings)
5.Aneventful capital
Canberraishometoalargerangeofnationalcelebrations,festivalsandsportingevents.
Floriadeisthecity’sflagshiptourismeventandisregardedinternationallyasAustralia’scelebrationofspring.
Featuringafloraldisplayofmorethanamillionbloomsandamonth-longprogramofentertainment,Floriadegeneratesanattendanceinexcessof400,000eachyear.
CoincidingwithCanberra’sbirthdaycelebrationsinMarcheachyearistheCanberraFestival,featuringeventssuchasENLIGHTENandtheCanberraBalloonSpectacular.
ENLIGHTENoffersbreathtakingarchitecturalprojectionsandtheopportunitytoseeCanberra’s
6.Tourismemployment/labour
Figure5showsthecompositionoftheprivatesector’stourismemployment.
Withover 16,000 peopleemployedandconsistentemploymentgrowth,themarketsegmentrepresentsagreatinvestmentopportunity.
EmploymentintourismsubsectorsiscomparativelyconcentratedintheACTwhencomparedtothenationalaverage(referlocationquotientinFigure6).
ThishighlightsthatCanberraisanattractiveplacefortourismsectoroperators.
EmploymentintheprivatetourismsectorintheACTgrewatanaverageannualrateof1.5%*between2006and2011.
FIGURE5:Privatesectortourismemployment
7%
10%
14%
nationalattractionsafter-hours.
Canberraisalsorenownedforitsrecurringprogramofexclusiveblockbusterartexhibitions,whichattractastrongnationalandinternationalaudience.
Bywayofexample,theMasterpiecesfromParis
FoodandbeverageservicesAccommodationservices
Tourismattractions,eventsactivitesTransportServices
69%
exhibitionin2010attracted470,000attendeesandgenerated$94millionineconomicimpact–with80%ofvisitorscomingfrominterstate.
TheACTGovernmentcontinuestosupporttheacquisitionofmajortourismeventsthroughitsSpecialEventFund(SEF).
Lookingahead,thereareanumberofmajoreventsonthehorizon.Theseincludethe2015AFCAsianCupfootballtournament–withCanberraStadiumtoplayhosttosevenmatches,includingaquarter-final.
ManukaOvalwillalsohostthreematchesinthe2015ICCCricketWorldCup.
Awayfromthesportingarena,theAnzacCentenary(includingthe100thanniversaryoftheGallipolilandingsin2015)loomsasoneofthemostsignificantcommemorationstotakeplaceinthelivesofcurrentgenerations.
FIGURE6:Tourismemploymentdata
LocationAccommodationservices / 1.13
Foodbeverageservices / 1.31
Attractions,eventsactivities / 1.09
*AverageAnnualGrowthRate
**ALQ1reflectsstrengthastheindustryisover-representedPart1source:AustralianBureauofStatistics(2013)CensusofHousingandPopulation,TableBuilder;andSGSEconomicsand
PlanningcalculationsPart2source: ABS, Census(PlaceofWork),2011
7.Governmentsupportfortourism
TheACTGovernment,throughVisitCanberra,hasdevelopeda2020TourismStrategytoprovideaframeworkforrealisingthetourismpotentialoftheCanberraregion.
ThegoalistogrowthevalueofovernightvisitorexpenditureintheACTfromacurrentbase
of$1.58billionto$2.5billionby2020.
ThestrategyalignswiththeintentofthenationalTourism2020frameworkwhichaimstodoubleovernightvisitorexpenditureinAustraliafrom
$70billionto$140billionby2020.
SomeoftheareasoffocusthatwillassistinrealisingtheACT’s2020tourismpotentialinclude:
•Investmentindestinationmarketingactivitiesthatdrivevisitationfromdomesticandinternationaltargetmarkets.
•Accessinitiativesincludingsecuringdirectinternationalflightservicesandgrowingdomesticaviation capacity.
•Growingthedigitalcapabilityoftheindustry.
•Supportingthekeydriversofthevisitoreconomyincludingbusinessevents,educationtourismandmajortourismevents.
•Creatingtherightbusinessenvironmentbyencouraginginvestmentandreducingregulatoryburdens.
•Experienceandindustrydevelopmentinitiatives
tocomplementinvestmentinnewproduct.
8.AccessingCanberra
Canberra,Australia’scapital,isavibrantandmodern
cityof367,000people.
Itislocated280kilometresfromSydneyand
150kilometresinlandfromtheeastcoastofAustralia.
Canberraiseasilyaccessedbyplane,car,busortrain.
DirectflightsareavailablefrommostAustraliancapitalcities(Sydney,Melbourne,Brisbane,AdelaideandPerth)andthecitycentreisjusta10minutedrivefromtheairport.
FlighttimesfromCanberra:
•Sydney50minutes
•Melbourne70minutes
•Brisbane100minutes
•Adelaide75minutes
InvestCanberrais the AustralianCapitalTerritoryGovernment’sofficial investment promotion agency.InvestCanberracoordinatesinvestorfacilitationacrossGovernmenttoprovidea case-managedservice formajor investors.