Tourism accommodation and training

Industry Commission inquiry report

The Industry Commission inquiry report, Tourism Accommodation and Training, was signed on 3 April 1996 and subsequently released by the Commonwealth Government. The report contains the findings of the Industry Commission public inquiry on tourism accommodation and tourism training arrangements. It focuses on the structure and competitiveness of Australia’s tourist accommodation providers and associated services, including an identification of strengths and weakness, drawing on international comparisons where appropriate.

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Contents

Preliminaries
Cover, Copyright, Signing Page, Contents, Abbreviations

PART A

Terms of Reference, Overview, Findings and recommendations

PART B CHAPTERS

1   The inquiry
1.1   Introduction
1.2   Scope of the inquiry
1.3   Why investigate tourism accommodation and training?
1.4   Conduct of the inquiry
1.5   Structure of the report

2   The tourism industry
2.1   Measuring tourism as an industry
2.2   The history of tourism
2.3   Tourism worldwide
2.4   Tourism in East Asia-Pacific
2.5   Tourism in Australia
2.6   Australian travel overseas
2.7   Comparisons with overseas destinations
2.8   What influences tourism in Australia
2.9   Government involvement in tourism in Australia
2.10   Conclusions

3   The economic impact of tourism
3.1   Introduction
3.2   Contribution of tourism to national income
3.3   Expenditure by inbound visitors to Australia
3.4   Domestic tourism expenditure
3.5   Inbound and domestic tourism expenditure compared
3.6   The increasing share of tourism in Australian expenditure
3.7   Current account implications of tourism
3.8   Economy-wide impacts of tourism expenditure
3.9   Conclusion

4 The stock of tourism accommodation in Australia
4.1   Introduction
4.2   Types of tourism accommodation
4.3   Current accommodation stock
4.4   Developments in tourism accommodation
4.5   Conclusions

5   Tourism accommodation segments
5.1   Introduction
5.2   Evolution of tourism accommodation
5.3   Who uses what type of accommodation
5.4   Making decisions on accommodation
5.5   Conclusions

6   Accommodation provision and the natural environment
6.1   Introduction
6.2   The relevance of the natural environment to tourism
6.3   Benefits and costs associated with accommodation provision
6.4   Valuation of the natural environment
6.5   Environmental decision making
6.6   Conclusions
Attachment 6.1   Accommodation and development in the North West Cape area of Western Australia

7   Approvals and standards
7.1   Introduction
7.2   Land use and development approvals
7.3   Operating regulations
7.4   Industry quality standards
7.5   Provision for the disabled
7.6   Conclusions

8   Tax and tourism accommodation
8.1   Introduction
8.2   Tax principles
8.3   Impact of taxation
8.4   Indirect taxes
8.5   Does the accommodation industry face a higher than average indirect tax level?
8.6   Direct tax
8.7   Other tax matters

9   The accommodation market fundamentals
9.1   Introduction
9.2   Determinants of demand
9.3   Short-run considerations
9.4   Long-run supply and investment
9.5   Conclusion

10   Investment during the last decade
10.1   Introduction
10.2   The impact of economic conditions
10.3   The pattern of investment over the last decade
10.4   Commencements from 1984-85 to 1986-87
10.5 Commencements from 1987-88 to 1989-90
10.6   Commencements from 1990-91 to 1994-95
10.7   Changing ownership
10.8   Current ownership patterns
10.9   The overhang of the 1980s
10.10   Conclusions

11   Profitability of tourism accommodation
11.1   Introduction
11.2   Available data on profitability
11.3   ABS surveys
11.4   Room yield
11.5   Gross operating profit
11.6   Ownership and management
11.7   International comparisons
11.8   Conclusions

12   Future investment in tourism accommodation
12.1   Introduction
12.2   Is Australia competitive for new tourism investment?
12.3   Forecasts of accommodation demand
12.4   Adequacy of existing data
12.5 The potential for increases in room rates
12.6   The availability of finance
12.7   Concessional access to land
12.8   Conclusions

13   Employment in tourism
13.1   Introduction
13.2   The demand for labour
13.3   The supply of labour
13.4   Characteristics of tourism jobs
13.5   Conclusion

14   The tourism labour market
14.1   Introduction
14.2   Overview of tourism labour markets
14.3   Labour costs
14.4   Awards in the tourism industry
14.5   Enterprise bargaining in the tourism industry
14.6   Conclusion

15   Institutional arrangements for the delivery of tourism training
15.1   Introduction
15.2   Background to National Vocational Education and Training System (NVETS)
15.3   The VET funding process
15.4   The Tourism Training Network
15.5   Government accreditation and industry recognition of training
15.6   Conclusions

16   Tourism training
16.1   Introduction
16.2   The present skill level of the tourism workforce
16.3   The delivery of tourism training
16.4   Demand for tourism training
16.5   Chefs
16.6 Emerging issues in tourism training
16.7   Conclusions
Attachment 16.1   Tourism courses and enrolments at Australian universities, 1994

PART C CASE STUDIES

CS1 Substitution among tourism accommodation standards

CS2 Backpacker accommodation

CS3 The Sheraton Towers agreement

CS4 The NSW restaurants award

PART D Appendices

A Inquiry participants

B Economy-wide impacts of increased tourism demand

C Costs and benefits of accommodation in the natural environment

D Ownership and management

E Workplace regulation in the tourism industry

F Flexibility in tourism awards

G Enterprise bargaining in tourism

H Skills development

I The national vocational education and training system

J Industry training initiatives

K Tourism training survey

L The return to education in tourism

References