Tourism has greater economic importance in Central Australia than any other state or territory in the country, a new report has revealed.
The Economic Importance of Tourism in Australia's Regions report was published this week by Martin Ferguson, the federal minister for tourism.
It shows that, in 2007/08, the total value of the tourism output in Central Australia was $411 million (£265 million), which was 24.8 per cent of the region's overall output.
Mr Ferguson said that tourism is the "lifeblood" of many areas, as it creates a great number of jobs.
"Regional areas see 46 cents in every dollar of tourism spending. So our local industry isn't just important to the people who work in it - it's important to everyone who lives here," said Warren Snowdon, a member for the electoral division Lingiari in the Northern territory.
Last month, a report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics suggested that tourism increased in Australia in the final quarter of 2010, with the average room occupancy rate for hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms reaching 68.8 per cent.
Posted by Ravin Chatlani
