Document: Local Government's Engagement in Tourism

South Australia’s tourism industry generated $3.7 billion in 2004/05, with significant employment benefits for the State. Besides the apparent economic impact, tourism can also be a catalyst for community development, bringing environmental, social and cultural benefits as well.

As a dynamic and growing sector of the economy, tourism provides opportunities and presents challenges, particularly for Local Government, as the provider and manager of infrastructure and services so often utilised by visitors as well as residents. As the guardian of the ‘showroom’, Local Government often plays an important role in the overall visitor experience; therefore it is important to understand the issues this presents.

The inaugural Engagement in Tourism survey was initiated to provide a benchmark of Local Government performance in their tourism related responsibilities. In doing so, it intended to highlight strengths and areas for improvement. There were numerous positive findings from the survey, notably the unanimous agreement (amongst surveyed Councils) that tourism offered future economic development opportunities for their Council area. A majority also considered tourism to be a significant.