Released 13/02/2020
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to ‘Show Canberra Some Love’ and support our local tourism and hospitality industry after what has been a difficult start to the year due to the bushfires and lingering smoke haze.
We know Canberrans love their city, so this is a great opportunity to wear your heart on your sleeve, show Canberra some love – and a good excuse to experience something a little bit different.
It’s all part of a campaign to encourage locals to visit parts of the ACT they never have before and share their experiences on social media using the hashtag #holidayhereCBR.
The holiday here campaign is part of the Government’s significant response to support our local tourism and hospitality industry during this period. The ACT Budget Review included close to $16 million of new investments to attract both domestic and international tourists to Canberra. The Government has also recently reduced outdoor dining permits to encourage investment and support local cafes, bars and restaurants during this difficult period.
Tourism and hospitality accounts for 19,300 jobs in the ACT, and the industry accounted for a quarter of all new jobs created in the Territory. And with 3,951 tourism and hospitality businesses in the capital, 73% of which have less than four employees, this is an industry that is susceptible to feeling significant impacts on their trade with changing conditions.
In addition to the local Holiday Here campaign, VisitCanberra will use the content created to attract interstate visitors back to the city for a short break. This initiative complements Tourism Australia’s broader Holiday Here This Year campaign, encouraging Australians to holiday domestically in 2020 to support the tourism industry.
By simply getting out and about and making a choice to have a holiday in our own beautiful city, we can all help support our local businesses that have had a tough start to the year.
- Statement ends -
Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases