History

TTF has been the authentic voice of the Australian tourism industry since its inception as the Tourism Task Force in the wake of the devastating pilots’ strike in 1989.

Under the chairmanship of the former Federal Tourism Minster, Hon John Brown AO, TTF immediately bolstered the industry’s fortunes by securing funding of $23 million from the Hawke Government for a domestic tourism campaign. Other successes followed, including the vital decision to construct a third runway at Sydney Airport and the introduction of the infrastructure bond scheme.

Reflecting tourism’s symbiotic relationship with transport and infrastructure, TTF re-branded in 2003 as Tourism & Transport Forum. Today around 40 per cent of TTF’s 200 Members come from the transport and infrastructure sectors, enabling TTF to speak for both industries with a single voice.

The uncompromising advocacy which remains TTF’s hallmark was behind the Howard government’s $235 million Tourism White Paper and the $11.8 billion Auslink White Paper, along with the increasing acceptance among governments of the Public Private Partnership model of infrastructure funding. 

TTF played a key role in the framing of the National Long-term Tourism Strategy and the Aviation White Paper - having worked with the Rudd government to drive both strategies onto the agenda – and was instrumental in ensuring that funding for co-operative marketing was brought forward to help Australia build its share of international tourism in the wake of the global financial crisis. We are continuing our campaign for cooperative Federal-State action to bolster urban transport infrastructure, and working with governments to address the overarching challenges of labour and skills shortages and climate change. 

At the best of times, TTF played a crucial role in the planning and preparation for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and the 2003 Rugby World Cup. At the worst of times, TTF provided strong leadership through crises such as 9/11, the Ansett collapse, SARS and the global financial crisis. 

It is this ability to marshal the industry behind essential policy objectives that sets TTF apart as Australia’s peak industry group for tourism, transport, aviation and investment.