Tourism body wants cheaper labour June 7, 2013 - 2:03PM A major Australian tourism body wants the high cost of labour to be a priority issue for political parties in the upcoming federal election. "The recent 2.6 per cent increase to the minimum wage adds yet another impost to the penalty on penalty rates that the industry is already struggling to manage in their business operations," ATEC managing director Felicia Mariani said on Friday. With mining and automotive industries in meltdown at the moment, ATEC calls on governments of all persuasions to look to tourism in this time of shifting focus for the economy. We remain one of the few major export industries which is demonstrating growth despite setbacks such as the strong Aussie dollar, restrictive regulatory frameworks and extraordinarily high labour costs. Ms Mariani has also called on politicians to commit to expanding the Working Holiday Visa parameters to allow, and encourage, more overseas visitors to work in regional tourism businesses. Other priorities include more funding to support marketing campaigns, including in the emerging Asian markets.