Blockbuster boosts hotels and visitors

Industry has applauded the success of the Toulouse-Lautrec: Paris & the Moulin Rouge exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia which attracted more than 170,200 visitors to Canberra, the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) ACT Branch said today. (April 4)

The Toulouse-Lautrec blockbuster proved to be a major tourist drawcard – with almost 80 per cent of the visitors travelling to Canberra and boosting the local hotel accommodation and hospitality industry.  The exhibition generated an estimated $37 million* for the ACT economy

AHA ACT Branch General Manager Brad Watts congratulated the NGA on working with local accommodation hotels and venues to achieve an impressive result.

"Canberra's accommodation hotel sector salutes the NGA's recent French blockbuster as it directly translated into room nights and lured interstate visitors," Mr Watts said.

"Many accommodation hotels enjoyed high occupancy levels during the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition, at a similar level to last year's Renaissance exhibition.  Local restaurants, venues and pubs also welcomed the strong influx of tourists."

However Mr Watts said the coming months were set to be a "down period" for local accommodation hotels, with business and parliamentary travel expected to slow down.

"This year, Canberra's hospitality and tourism sector is expected to lose at least $6 million dollars in revenue due to the Parliamentary shutdown for the Federal election, according to a recent member survey," Mr Watts said.

"The Federal poll will take a heavy toll on the local hotel and hospitality sector – and industry is already noticing a slowdown."

But Mr Watts said having the NGA's Turner from the Tate exhibition, featuring one of Britain's greatest artists, will certain provide a welcomed mid-year spike in tourist numbers for the nation's capital.

Mr Watts said Canberra continued to enjoy a hotel 'room boom' with more than 220 top-end hotel rooms recently being opened.  Several new hotels are also expected to open this year in Canberra, including in the emerging New Acton precinct.

Source: Australian Hotels Association - ACT, 4 April 2013