No longer selling Australia short

Tourism operators will submit to a new accreditation scheme, designed to revitalise industry standards. All operators will undergo assessment by judges and earn ratings according to set criteria.

Martin Ferguson, Minister for Tourism, says he hopes the system will be in place by July. “For too long the focus on building the Australian tourism industry has been solely on the marketing campaign,” he said. “But it is equally important that we make sure tourists go home saying 'Wow!'. The quality of their experience … is vital to Australia's future success as an international tourism destination of choice.”
 
Tourism and Transport Forum spokeswoman Olivia Wirth supported the push for nationally recognised standards. "It's very important to have consistent industry standards across all Australian tourism products so that consumers—whether they're from overseas or from Australia—know that what they're paying for is exactly what they're going to get," she said.