About the Industry Resilience Working Group
Membership
Priorities and achievements
Related documents
More information
About the Industry Resilience Working Group
The Industry Resilience Working Group was established under the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy. Through the updated Tourism 2020, the working group focuses on building industry resilience in response to the impacts of environmental, political and social changes.
The tourism industry is exposed to a range of external factors and changing consumer attitudes and travel behaviour. This requires ongoing adaptation of tourism products and experiences to respond to this dynamic, competitive environment.
The implications of market shocks such as acts of terrorism or war, disease outbreaks, natural disasters and the effect of climate change and potential policy and consumer behaviour changes in response to these factors are a particular priority to the Australian tourism industry.
Resilience in the face of external challenges is necessary to ensure a sustainable and economically vibrant industry.
Membership
- Tourism Queensland (Chair)
- Australian Government Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
- Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
- Australian Government Department of Sustainability, the Environment, Water, Population and Communities
- Tourism Australia
- Destination New South Wales
- Tourism Victoria
- South Australian Tourism Commission
- Tourism NT
Priorities and achievements
The Industry Resilience Working Group has made substantial progress against many of its key priority actions.
Highlights include:
Identification of programs to assist small businesses in adapting to climate change
The working group compiled a comprehensive list of programs that best deliver on industry needs and may assist businesses in meeting the challenges of adapting to climate change, enhancing resilience and addressing crisis management.
The list of programs was collated into a Responding to Climate Change: Programs and Resources for the Tourism Industry fact sheet (see Related documents).
Industry Resilience Kit
The working group undertook further analysis to identify what does and does not work when responding to incidents that impact on the tourism industry. EC3 Global has produced an Industry Resilience Kit, which ASCOT will consider for release. The kit will provide Regional Tourism Associations and tourism businesses with a self-help guide for mitigating risks to enhance business continuity.
Finalise the National Tourism Incident Response Plan review
The Industry Resilience Working Group Steering Committee's review of the National Tourism Incident Response Plan was endorsed by Tourism Ministers on 22 October 2010.
At the Tourism Ministers' Council meeting in April 2011 Tourism Ministers agreed to rename the existing National Tourism Incident Response Plan, to National Tourism Incident Communication Plan (see Related documents) to more accurately reflect its role.
A Crisis Management Resources for Tourism fact sheet has been provided to reflect the whole-of-government arrangements for crisis management (see Related Documents).
- Business Resilience to Climate Change
The working group identified a need for a demonstrative climate adaptation tool to assist tourism operators plan for potential climate change impacts. The Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Organisation (CSIRO) has been engaged to apply the Climate Futures methodology to develop the tool, with Queensland's Sunshine Coast selected as the subject destination. The online tool will provide operators with user-friendly information on projected climate changes and risk mitigation actions to build business resilience.
Related documents
More information
For more information about the Industry Resilience Working Group contact email ascot-tmm@ret.gov.au.