Business Mission Calendar

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:35): My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Can the minister please update the council on the 2020 business mission calendar?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:36): I thank the honourable member for his question and his ongoing interest in growing South Australia's economy. The government is committed to assisting South Australian businesses looking to build success overseas. In addition to working directly with our expanding network of overseas offices, businesses will also be able to participate in an extensive range of outbound and inbound missions throughout 2020.

I am happy to inform the chamber that today we are launching the 2020 business mission calendar, which will go live on the DTTI website later this afternoon. Releasing this calendar for business is in line with the recommendations of the Joyce review, which identified that realigning South Australia's international and interstate engagement was vital for lifting our state's economic growth and increasing our prosperity. Targeted business missions are not only important for helping to grow our trade and investment opportunities in overseas markets, they also bring overseas buyers and investors to South Australia.

Business missions during 2019 included Wine Australia's Far From Ordinary Roadshow in the USA, the Hannover Messe, the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, and many more. These missions, both inbound and outbound, support international engagement and are of significant importance to grow our great state product by 3 per cent per annum. The new calendar for 2020 will see a range of both outbound and inbound events, tailored specifically to the nine growth sectors, including international education, food, wine, agribusiness, defence, high-tech, etc.

Approximately 43 business missions will be undertaken in countries all over the world, including Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, Germany, Singapore, France, India and China. Thirty-four of the planned missions will be outbound, and we will be hosting nine inbound missions. Missions will attend events such as South by South West in the United States in March, Hannover Messe again in April, Euronaval in France in October, the China International Import Expo again in November, and plenty more.

Releasing the calendar shows that South Australia is open for business, and I look forward to seeing the positive benefits for South Australia and our industries that result from these very important business missions. I encourage anyone with an interest in engaging with overseas markets—and any businesses, in particular—to look at the business mission calendar online today and register their interest in attending any of the outbound or inbound missions.