Canberra’s tourism industry is displaying signs of recovery as hotel occupancy rates reveal more people are visiting the Territory.
Minister for Tourism, Andrew Barr said occupancy levels in the city’s commercial accommodation were 73.2 per cent for April, well above the national average of 60.7 per cent.
“This demonstrates a significant rebound from April 2020 when occupancy levels reached just 13.7 per cent,” Mr Barr said.
“Our region is now being serviced by the most extensive domestic aviation network in our history, and competition between airlines is making it cheaper and easier to visit Canberra,” he said.
Mr Barr said 15 Canberra businesses had received funding through VisitCanberra’s COVID-Safe Tourism Co-Investment Program which supported businesses to develop COVID-safe tourism products and infrastructure to provide new experiences and bring more visitors to the city.
“Projects range from dining domes to cellar door outdoor seating and new shuttle bus services through to development of new products like a night safari at the National Zoo & Aquarium and an ice age exhibit at the National Dinosaur Museum,” the Minister said.
He said that for the first time in more than a decade, Canberra now had direct flights to every capital city in the country following the establishment of new routes between Canberra and the Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Hobart, Port Macquarie, and Darwin.
