Tourism Jobs Down'Jobs Jobs Jobs' - Where!Wayne Berry - Opposition Spokesperson on TourismMedia Statement - 17 July 2000The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics Tourism Accommodation figures show a rise in accommodation occupancy and takings for all accommodation sectors in the ACT - but they also show a down side - falling employment, Labor Shadow Tourism Minister Wayne Berry said today. "While bed numbers, occupancy rates and room takings have all risen, the number of people employed in the accommodation sector has fallen. And this is an ongoing trend we have seen in the figures for over a year. Each time the quarterly figures are released we find that the number of people employed, compared with the corresponding quarter in the previous year, has fallen. "In the last year bed numbers have risen by 899 or 6% and takings by $3.6 million or 15% but there are 26 fewer people employed in the sector overall and 44 fewer in licensed hotels. Two years ago there were 286 more people working in the accommodation sector with 2108 fewer beds. "The Carnell Government continuously boasts 'jobs, jobs, jobs' as it allocates territory money to pet projects but in a period when jobs growth has been trending upward to a recent peak, the reverse has occurred in the generously funded tourism and events area. "This year's budget allocates $21.5 million to tourism and claims that the funds are for 'the third year of a tourism marketing campaign that maximises the benefits from major events'. Well, the ABS figures tell us that in the last two years we've lost 286 jobs at the same time as occupancy rates and turnover have grown. "I would like to know who's getting the benefits here - the Territory's certainly not getting jobs. "While we pour millions into tourism events as well as into the Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation we see no return on investment in employment - where are the jobs for the ACT," Mr Berry concluded. |