February

STCRC releases proposal for new strategic tourism research centre

16-Feb-2009

Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) will enter a bid for federal government funding next month to build a new research centre under the Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) program. The proposal for the new centre can be viewed here.

The new tourism CRC (NewSTCRC) intends to provide a comprehensive strategic and scientific research plan to support the advancement of Australian tourism. NewSTCRC also hopes to act as the supporting research to underpin the long-term national tourism strategy for Australia, currently being developed by a committee appointed by the Commonwealth Minister for Tourism.

NewSTCRC will be involved with tourism knowledge production, application and diffusion, through a strong research and education program, development of research into knowledge tools and delivery of tools to stakeholders through collaboration with industry partners.

STCRC conducted extensive industry consultation through a national program of workshops around the country in late 2008, in order to construct a targeted research agenda focussed on end-user needs.

With over 100 industry partners attending the workshops, a considerable amount of feedback was collated and used as an essential background to generate the research agenda. University partners also considered the research program at a two-day workshop in Sydney in December.

STCRC are currently finalising prospective university and industry partners that will help to both build the research and deliver it to stakeholders in the broader Australian community.

STCRC CEO Ian Kean sees the creation of a new strategic tourism research centre as an essential key to underpin sustainable tourism in Australia.

“A tourism CRC operating in synchronicity with all Australian tourism stakeholders and drawing on the skills and knowledge of the best academic researchers both nationally and internationally can provide significant economic, environmental and social benefits for Australian tourism and Australian communities,” Mr Kean said. “It also provides a framework for industry participation which would not otherwise be available.”

“Tourism contributes nearly $65 billion directly and indirectly to the Australian economy and employs nearly 500,000 Australians in over 350,000 tourism related enterprises,” he said. “The sector is unique in that it consists of over 90 percent small to medium-sized enterprises, which are located all over the country. With a sector of this scale and of this nature, it is essential that the challenge of integrated strategic planning and leadership is addressed.”