What Andrew Barr says his Europe trade mission will do for Canberra

Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Photo by Keegan Carroll

Mr Barr stated a two-year effort to provide Canberra organizations much better access to financiers and development supports in the 2 nations would follow the journey.

“Our objective is clear: more high-value jobs, more private investment and more Canberra companies competing successfully in international markets,” Mr Barr stated.

Canberra Innovation Network president Petr Adamek stated the ACT required to link its first-rate research study and enthusiastic business owners with worldwide markets.

“The ACT government’s engagement with leading innovation ecosystems in Germany and the UK is an important step in opening these doors,” Mr Adamek stated.

“At the Canberra Innovation Network, we see significant opportunities to build on these relationships and help more knowledge-based businesses from Canberra turn their innovations into international commercial success.”

An offer for a joint marketing project with Qatar Airways settled throughout Mr Barr’s $18,500 journey with VisitCanberra and Tourism Australia will promote vacations to the capital and assistance for everyday flights in between Canberra and Doha.

The ACT was likewise dealing with longer-term collaborations with other airline companies to motivate more visitors from Europe and increase Canberra’s global profile.

Mr Barr stated the ACT was working to motivate global visitors to significant occasions over the next years – consisting of the Rugby World Cup in 2027, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2028, the Ashes Cricket Tour in 2029 and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games – to include Canberra to their travel plan.

“Visitors from the UK and Europe typically travel across multiple states and territories during a single trip. Canberra is well placed to capture a greater share of that travel,” he stated.

Mr Barr, who is likewise the tourist minister, stated the 2000 Sydney Olympics had actually revealed the advantages of the occasion extended well beyond the host city.

“The 2032 games present a similar opportunity, and our focus is to ensure Canberra secures its share of that growth,” he stated.

“More visitor nights mean more customers for local hotels, restaurants, attractions and events, supporting jobs and economic growth across Canberra and the surrounding region.”

The federal government’s newest tourist method stated the UK was the European market with the greatest development chance and was “critical to future aviation ambitions”

Overall visitor costs in the ACT economy has actually grown from $2.3 billion a year in 2022 to $3.1 billion in 2024.

International visitors invest more than 3 times as much as domestic over night visitors in the ACT, the federal government has actually stated.

The Chief Minister likewise stated the Canberra Innovation Network, the capital’s universities, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the more comprehensive innovation centre were main to the area’s financial future.

“The global trading environment is more uncertain and more competitive, and Canberra exporters need every advantage they can get,” he stated.

“We’re working to give local companies that edge. Our objective is to enable innovative Canberra companies to have greater access to international markets, investment capital, commercial partnerships and research networks.”

The trade objective consisted of conference leaders from the Hessian Ministry for Digitalisation and Innovation, Technologiepark Heidelberg, Heidelberg Innovation Park, Knowledge Quarter London, London & & Partners, the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, Austrade and Australian banks running in Europe.

“Discussions with the Hessian Ministry for Digitalisation and Innovation focused on how Hesse’s digital and innovation strengths could connect with Canberra’s capabilities in cyber security, AI and quantum technologies,” the federal government stated.

Twelve ACT companies in 2025-26 were exporting since of “essential support” gotten from the federal government’s global engagement workplace, while 103 services got export advancement support.

“The surge in international travel and growing demand for overseas delegations have significantly increased the visitation of business and government officials to the ACT,” the workplace’s yearly report stated.