Introduction to Tourism in Australia Research Assignment (Essay Sample)

Introduction to Tourism in Australia
By Kennedy
University
Abstract
Tourism is a very important vehicle of the Australian economy. Over the years this industry has developed to become one of the most important service industries. This has been as a result of organization of major sporting events as well as development of the hospitality sector which attracts both local and foreign tourists. In the year 2014/2015 for instance, tourism generated around A$ 48 billion which was about 3% of the country’s GDP (Goodman, P. 2012). This tourism contribution translated to $98.9 million revenue into the Australian economy each day. In spite of being a big contributor to the economy, tourism industry has its setbacks.
Introduction to Tourism in Australia
Introduction
Australia is the smallest and driest continent in the world. However, the largest part of its vast land has been tamed and the once unwelcoming deserts no longer look wild (Saurine, 2012).The continent is now a beautiful paradise filled with well conserved deserts, mountains, rainforests with abundance of plant species and unique animals like the kangaroo and the koala bear. The main tourist attractions in the country consist of national parks, forests and monuments.
The purpose of this paper is to describe the importance and challenges facing the Australian Tourism Industry. To achieve this, this essay will look at; profit earning to the country, creation of employment, development of infrastructure and promotion of international links as the importance and environmental damage, seasonal employment, cultural destruction and economic imbalance as the challenges.
Importance of Australian Tourism Industry
Earns profit to the country
This is the main importance of Australia tourism which has encouraged the government to conduct promotions both domestically and internationally in an effort to boast the industry through creation of awareness. One major example is the Australia Week promotion which seeks to market Australian tourism and culture mainly in the US. In 2014/2015, the tourism industry revenue was around A$ 48 billion which translated to a significant 3% stake of Australia’s GDP (Goodman, 2012). This income resulted from the organization of mega events in the country and outside as well as the development of the hospitality sector in general. The high profitability of the industry not only increases government revenues but also attracts domestic and foreign investment into the country’s tourism sector which helps to promote economic growth and development.
Creates job Opportunities
At the moment, the tourism industry has created about 310,000 jobs which is approximately 4.6% of the Australia’s total workforce. This is because the tourism industry is attached to other sectors of the economy; from hoteling and hospitality to transport and retail sector, all of which require staffing (Goodman, 2012). The development and expansion of the tourism industry in Australia has thus resulted to increased employment opportunities to the local people. This has helped to reduce the level of unemployment which in return has helped to increase the per capita ratio in Australia thus raising the living standards of the Australians as a whole.
Boasts development of Infrastructure
The growth of the Tourism industry in Australia has led to increased investment by local and foreign investors into different industries in the country (Study Moose, 2016). This includes construction and maintenance of road, railway as well air transport network. A good example is the construction of the Wellcamp Airport near Toowoomba. The airport will help open up the Toowoomba area in Southern Queensland thus promoting tourism as well as the agricultural sector in the region (Tourism Research Australia, 2011).
Promotion of International Links
Tourism has helped promote Australia’s international links with other countries. Due to increased tourist arrivals in the recent past, there has been increased number of flights in and out of Australia every day. This has improved corporate and cultural connections with the rest of the world a factor that has both medium and long term economic benefits (Heaney, 2015). For instance, through tourism, Australia has been able to market herself to the world as a modern and sophisticated hub for investment. As such, there has been increased foreign investment into Australia which has helped boast economic development.
Challenges of Australian Tourism Industry
Environmental Damage
In most cases, tourism is a big contributor to environmental degradation through pollution and forest fires. Even if the tourists behave responsibly, the source of damage shift to their sheer numbers (Goodman, 2012). Attractions like ancient buildings and unique monuments struggle to cope with the giant amount of tourist traffic which causes wear and tear. For example, the Sydney Opera House is a victim of this because of thousands of art lovers who travel to visit this monument. The high rate of wear and tear calls for increased funds channeled to frequent renovations and maintenance leaving very little financing towards development of new monuments.
Cultural Destruction
The commercialization of the Australian culture can destruct the soul of Australia as a tourist destination. This has been evident in recent past where local traditions that used to have rich cultural heritage have been reduced to wearing costumes and putting on acts for tourists in order to earn money (Goodman, 2012). As a result, the authentic cultural creativity which initially existed has been replaced by the idea and the greed for money by locals leading to dilution of culture.
Other cases which cause cultural destruction are alien dress codes and ill behavior like drinking or smoking in public (Bright House, 2012).
Seasonal Employment
Most tourism jobs are not only seasonal but also insecure because they lack extra benefits such as pension and health insurance (Goodman, 2012). Some destinations in Australia are filled with visitors during the busy periods but become virtually deserted for most part of the year. For example, the Great Coral reef is very crowded during the summer season while during the winter, it is hardly visited. Therefore, if the people who work in the resor...