Tourism Australia is a corporate Commonwealth entity formed under the Tourism Australia Act 2004 (TA Act). It is governed by a Board of Directors that is appointed by the Minister responsible for tourism under the TA Act and the Public Governance Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act).

Our vision

Our vision is for Australia to be the most desirable and memorable destination on Earth.

Our organisational purpose

Our organisational purpose is to grow demand and foster a competitive and sustainable Australian tourism industry through partnership marketing to targeted global consumers in key markets.

Our marketing purpose

Our marketing purpose is to invite the world to experience the Australian way of life.

Our goal

Our goal is to achieve more than $115 billion in overnight tourism spend by 2020 (up from $70 billion[1] in 2009). We share this goal with the Australian tourism industry and state and territory governments to maximise tourism’s contribution to the Australian people.

Our values

Our values support our vision. They are the essence of our identity and provide the guiding principles to our behaviour and to the relationships we have with our customers and partners. They are:

United | we are one team

Positive | we are optimistic

Genuine | we are authentic

Commercial | we deliver results

Innovative | we are creative thinkers

Our legislative objects and functions

Under the TA Act, our objects are to:

• Influence people to travel to Australia, including for events
• Influence people travelling to Australia to also travel throughout Australia
• Influence Australians to travel throughout Australia, including for events
• Help foster a sustainable tourism industry in Australia
• Help increase the economic benefits to Australia from tourism.

Under the TA Act, our functions are to:

• Increase potential travellers’ awareness of Australia as a destination
• Increase potential domestic travellers’ awareness of Australia as a place to travel
• Increase both international and domestic potential travellers’ knowledge of Australia
• Increase both international and domestic potential travellers’ desire to travel to and throughout Australia
• Conduct research into, and analyse international and domestic travel
• Communicate effectively with the Australian tourism industry on matters that may affect it
• Increase awareness among Australians of the contribution tourism makes to Australia’s economy, society and environment
• Report on trends in international and domestic travel.

Our Australian Government outcome and programs

Each year, Australian Government agencies are required to identify their planned programs and how these deliver on outcomes set by the government.

Tourism Australia has one government outcome: ‘To grow demand and foster a competitive and sustainable Australian tourism industry through partnership marketing to targeted global consumers’.[2]

This outcome is delivered through two programs:

1. ‘Grow demand’
2. ‘Industry development’.

[1] The 2009 benchmark is derived from the 2020 Tourism Industry Potential, which preceded the Tourism 2020 strategy.

[2] Portfolio Budget Statements 2019–20, Budget Related Paper No. 1.8 Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio, p 147.