Supported by a $10 million grant from Austrade, Accommodation Australia Industry Association has developed a platform called “eger”. Set to launch in March 2025, it is a new careers and training resource designed to tackle workforce shortages, skill development, and career growth in industries critical to Australia’s visitor economy; tourism, hospitality and travel. The platform is designed to be a one stop shop to help tourism and hospitality workers grow their skill sets to help continue to build their careers and help businesses find the employees they need. The platform will offer tools for education, training, and career advancement, providing a central resource for employers to find talent and employees to explore opportunities across the sector. 

Learn more about eeger here.

Funding has been awarded to 50 applicants to upskill regional workers across Western Australia to encourage them to stay and work in their local communities.
The Regional Traineeship Program is a competitive grants scheme available to WA Community Resource Centre (CRC) Network members and select regional Local Government Authorities (LGA) to assist with the cost of employing a trainee.
Traineeships identified through this year's process have identified long-term needs within the community and where a clear indication of a skills gap exists. The trainees who will study a range of courses, including business, tourism, marketing and communications, community services, and aged care.

• Five students will be studying the Certificate III in Events
• Four students will be studying the Certificate III in Tourism
• One student will be studying the Certificate III in Hospitality

Tourism WA is progressing plans for a world-class tourism and hospitality management school, following a feasibility study that highlights strong industry support and a clear need for skilled professionals to fuel economic growth across the state.  
While WA offers various university and TAFE programs, the state currently lacks a dedicated institution delivering bespoke, specialised education in tourism and hospitality management, integrated with strong industry partnerships.  
This Expression of Interest (EOI) process will allow Tourism WA to gauge interest, challenges, and support levels from organisations known for excellence in tourism and hospitality education. 
More information on the EOI process can be found here.

Creative Australia and Jobs and Skills Council for the Arts, SaCSA (Service and Creative Skills Australia), have released interim findings from their major review of the arts sector in Australia, the Arts Workforce Scoping Study.
The National Cultural Policy, Revive: A place for every story, a story for every place, outlined the need for an Arts Workforce Scoping Study to understand workforce challenges and skills needs across the creative sector and to inform industry-driven solutions.
Findings and recommendations from this study will inform SACSA’s Workforce Plan, along with reviews of vocational education and training (VET) packages and other potential workforce development initiatives.
The Arts Workforce Scoping Study – Interim findings report presents key findings from Part A of the Arts Workforce Scoping Study, including information on skills shortages and recruitment issues. It also incorporates key findings from a desktop review of current sector data on workforce shortages, and barriers to workforce participation.
The six sectors in scope for the study are:

• Performing arts (all types of live performance across art forms)
• Visual arts, craft and design (including all types of visual arts and crafts; and graphic, digital and fashion design for exhibition)
• Writing and publishing (all forms including fiction and non-fiction)
• Digital games (games development)
• Screen (including film and TV production and post-production)
• Music (including live performance, music recording and publishing)

The creative and cultural workforce in Australia is large and diverse, and there are a broad range of skills and recruitment concerns that impact all workers, including artists. This interim report focuses on skills shortages and recruitment issues being experienced by employers and employing organisations. 

Creative Australia link
SaCSA link
​ArtsHub analysis
NAVA analysis

The new collaboration between the Federal Government (Austrade) and Indigenous stakeholders across the country - the First Nations Visitor Economy Partnership - will provide input into creating a peak First Nations tourism body.
The body will provide national leadership on respectfully embedding Australia’s rich cultural heritage in our visitor experiences and look towards forming a permanent national First Nations tourism body. 
Establishing the partnership is a key action under THRIVE2030, Australia’s visitor economy strategy. Austrade led work on co-designing the partnership during 2023 and 2024 in collaboration with First Nations industry representatives, the NIAA, Tourism Australia and state and territory governments. 
​More information can be found here.

Premier Roger Cook announced the development of eight new theatre spaces for the forthcoming WAAPA City Campus on 25th October 2024, along with a landmark philanthropic contribution by the Minderoo Foundation.
Making the announcement, Premier Cook said “ECU City and WAAPA will transform the face and very fabric of Perth’s CBD… The relocation of these Western Australian institutions will draw thousands of students, staff and audience members into our city centre, driving economic activity, supporting businesses and creating a thriving and vibrant CBD day and night… Today we are excited to unveil the development of WAAPA’s exceptional city performance theatres, which will put our State on the map as a world-leading centre of arts and culture.
The bigger picture for the future of performing arts in WA is beginning to emerge, with remarkable talent set to pass through the doors of ECU City WAAPA in 2026 – as our new $233 million Perth Film Studios welcomes its first productions and the revitalised Perth Cultural Centre opens to the public. The vision for ECU City and WAAPA is coming to life, and I welcome ECU’s partnerships with leading philanthropic organisations such as Minderoo Foundation…”
Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Minderoo Foundation have entered a $30 million, 25-year philanthropic partnership in support of the state-of-the-art new home for the university’s Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
The biggest-ever gift to the performing arts in Australia is one of the largest donations received by a WA university and in the top ten of all philanthropic contributions to any Australian university.

New data from the Australian Cruise Association  reveals that the cruise sector in Western Australia has hit a new high with fresh figures revealing the industry generated a record $385 million for the WA economy over 2023-24.
WA welcomed 290 small and large cruise ship visits over the period with Broome and Fremantle the most popular ports,  which supported jobs.
There is continued focus on growth in the State's cruise sector, through the Western Australian Cruise Tourism Strategic Plan 2023-2033. 
Around $1.8 million in funding will be spent delivering the strategic plan over the next four years and building cruise line engagement, with an additional $35.5 million committed to improve infrastructure at Fremantle Passenger Terminal.
Fremantle has been selected to host the 2025 Australian Cruise Association Conference, bringing over 150 of Australia's top industry representatives together to discuss port opportunities.

Australian Cruise Association research

The Federal government has released its inquiry looking at the opportunities and challenges facing the tourism and international education sectors since the reopening of Australia’s borders post- pandemic.
​The report includes 28 recommendations to improve the industry's resilience.
Subcommittee Chair, Senator Deborah O'Neill noted, “It is clear the recovery has been patchy and that issues remain. This report makes a number of recommendations to strengthen the visitor economy and make it more resilient to future shocks. Throughout the inquiry we kept coming back to two key areas with enormous opportunity, if key barriers can be reduced: First Nations tourism and regional tourism.”
The inquiry has recommended establishing a national First Nations tourism body and reviewing the First Nations Visitor Economy Strategy, as well as continuing grant programs to support First Nations tourism businesses. 
It also recommends the government help promote the development of regional accommodation and attractions, prioritise regional transport and infrastructure improvements and allow affordable regional air access, whilst ensuring training providers improve access for regional tourism operators. It also recommends the Federal Government collaborate with the states to promote regional tourism, nature-based tourism and disability inclusion.

Read the full report and recommendations here. 

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit was held in Perth this week, bringing together international government representatives, tourism leaders, investors and media to discuss global tourism.
The three-day conference was headlined by John Kerry, who served as US Secretary of State from 2013-2017 under the administration of former President Barack Obama. Alongside Secretary Kerry was Australian environmentalist and television personality Robert Irwin.
A host of other high-profile speakers shared their insights and experiences across the three days, including TripAdvisor CEO Matt Goldberg, Trip.com CEO Jane Sun, American Express Travel President Audrey Hendley and Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton.