A merger between Australia’s two hotel associations is back on the table as the goal of creating a “unified voice” edges closer to a reality.
Announced prior to the start of the Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE), headlined sponsored by Hostplus and Intrust Super, in Sydney today (Sep 8), the news comes at a time when lobbying has never been more crucial.
In a joint statement, Australian Hotels Association (AHA) President Scott Leach and Accommodation Association of Australia (AAoA) President Julian Clark said the AHA, Tourism Accommodation Australia and AAoA were working on creating a united voice for the struggling sector.
“A small working party representing all of the associations has been put together to work on a new model representing one clear national voice for the accommodation sector,” Clark said.
Leach said: “This working party has been meeting behind the scenes, is making progress and we remain confident of finally bringing the AHA, TAA and AAoA together at this crucial time for our industry.”