Introducing a "visa for life" to cash in on spontaneous foreign travellers and "passport-free" entry to Australia are among the items on the tourism industry's budget wishlist.
In its pre-budget submission to Treasury, the Australian Tourism Export Council has recommended Australia invest in a "visa for life" for regular travellers that have cleared the appropriate checks.
ATEC Managing Director Peter Shelley praised the government's multiple entry visa, but said it is time to take it one step further.
“Many of our close Asian neighbours, affluent Asian neighbours in particular, are last minute decision makers.
"They might be sitting in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and saying 'let’s go to Australia for the weekend'. People are starting to think like that,” Mr Shelley said.
The industry is concerned that visa processing backlogs are causing Australia to miss out on visitors.
Mr Shelley said more resources are needed to streamline and speed up the visa processing system, particularly to deal with an .
"We don’t want to hear travel wholesalers in say India saying we're not prepared to sell Australia any more because we’re not confident," Mr Shelley said.
The tourism industry is calling for "passport free" entry to Australia. Source: SBS News
The council is also calling for the allocation of an additional $60 million to Tourism Australia to set it on a more competitive footing with other nations. The council said part of that funding should go towards the training of tourism operators.
While the industry has welcomed upgrades at airports to use more facial recognition and smart gates, ATEC wants the government to aim for "passport-free" entry by 2030 for a "frictionless experience".
"Whilst you can have a lovely time on a holiday, if you have a negative departure it often sits in your mind," Mr Shelley said.
With the budget being handed down just weeks ahead of an expected May federal election, the government is expected to splash the cash. ATEC is just one of more than 200 industry and community groups to have submitted their wishlists to Treasury.
The Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils, which has been , has demanded funding for a national anti-racism campaign to combat the rise of white supremacy.
Meanwhile international aid groups have made pre-budget submissions, calling for a boost in the foreign aid budget.
Plan International has recommended the amount be restored to 0.7 per cent of gross national income. It also called for a separation between the foreign aid budget and a new loan scheme for infrastructure in the Pacific.
The federal government will hand down the budget on Tuesday at 7.30pm (AEST).
