Australia’s accommodation leaders say the country’s tourism industry needs to heed James Packer’s plans to kick-start tourism down under, claiming his vision would help “reinvigorate tourism”.

Accommodation Association of Australia chief executive Richard Munro said Mr Packer has a clear “passion for Australian tourism” and his plans to target Chinese middle class and develop Barangaroo would give the industry a “further lift”. “His vision of developing a major new hotel and casino on the prime Sydney waterfront site Barangaroo is a sound one given the need to further lift the standard of our tourism accommodation product, as well as existing occupancy and room-rates in Sydney,” Mr Munro said.   “It would be a magnet for visitors from the emerging Chinese market. “Mr Packer’s ideas should be one of a number of measures to reinvigorate tourism in Australia.” Mr Munro added that enticing more international flights is also important for the industry and said a focus was needed for those outside of major aviation gateways of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.  “This won’t be easy given the taxation regime, which includes the commencement of the carbon tax in just over a month, the increase in departure tax and the police levy on airports,” he concluded. Source = e-Travel Blackboard: N.J