The Government will continue to diversify our local economy through our local tourism industry, creating more local jobs and making it easier for international visitors to come to the nation’s capital.
The Territory Budget will invest in building international business and trade connections and growing our visitor economy.
Making it more affordable and easier to get to Canberra by air is a key priority and continued investment in the Aviation Stimulus Fund will attract more direct domestic and international flights to and from Canberra. The investments made through this fund in 2023 delivered around $95 million in economic value to the Territory.
Enhanced in-market activity, trade links and continued representation in Singapore, South-East Asia and India will drive growth in leisure visitors and expenditure in 2024-25 and beyond.
The United States is currently the ACT’s strongest international visitor market, and a key growth market for many Canberra businesses. Building on last year’s trade mission, Budget investment will target in-market activity to provide growth opportunities in the US for the ACT’s tourism, trade and business sectors.
Funding will also increase activity in China, a key market which has not yet returned to pre-Covid levels, by building industry capability and activities to support the promotion of our local tourism businesses.
The 2024-25 Budget will support the many Canberra‑based businesses with existing connections to these international markets and support businesses entering these markets for the first time.
Canberra continues to attract quality international events to our busy events calendar. Funding through the Budget will bring the British and Irish Lions Tour to Canberra on 9 July 2025 for a match against the ACT Brumbies. The British and Irish Lions Tour is the biggest Rugby event outside of the Rugby World Cup.
Over $900,000 will be spent on signage improvements around Canberra. The ACT’s parks and nature reserves are a drawcard for tourism attracting many visitors each year, we will fund a significant upgrade to resilient signage, benefitting Canberrans and tourists to our parks. Entrance signage along the Barton Highway will be upgraded to improve the arrival experience for visitors and other motorists, as well as wayfinding and other signage for our major events Floriade and the Enlighten Festival.
The Government will continue its sponsorship of the Canberra Region Tourism Awards providing an avenue for national recognition of our tourism sector and raising Canberra’s profile as a tourist destination.
The Brand Canberra program will also be supported to continue promoting our city as a great place to live work and study.
Quotes attributable to ACT Chief Minister, Andrew Barr:
A thriving and expanding tourism sector is driving Canberra’s ongoing economic growth. The industry supports thousands of local businesses and tens of thousands of jobs.
This Budget supports the growth of Canberra’s international connectivity and the visitor economy and sector wide job creation.
These initiatives will continue to promote Canberra as a tourism, trade and business destination.
