Date: 18/10/2000
By JOSEPH KERR -- Sydney Morning Herald
Tourism is a bigger earner for Australia than some traditional industries and rivals mining in its worth to the
country, a new study has found.
Tourism was found to generate 4.3 per cent of overall production, worth about $22.4 billion in 1997-98.
This compared with 4.7 per cent of overall production for Australia's mining industry and 2.7 per cent for the
combined value of electricity, gas and water production.
The Bureau of Statistics report - based on 1997-98 data and produced at a cost of more than $1 million - was partly
funded by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
The Minister for Sport and Tourism, Ms Kelly, launching the study, said it was the first time official figures
had been produced to show the value of the tourism industry to Australia.
Read this entire story in The Sydney Morning
Herald.