Australian Hotels Association

The Australian Hotels Association is an employer advocacy and lobby group representing hoteliers around Australia.

The AHA was established in 1839, and is an organisation of employers registered under Commonwealth Industrial Relations law and respective State Laws. In early April 1839, several meetings of Licensed Victuallers (Hoteliers) were held in Hobart at the White Horse Tavern, Liverpool St. At one of these meetings it was suggested that a sociey be formed for the mutual benefit and protection of it members. Today the AHA is a federation of state-based hotels associations.

There are 8 state based Hotel Associations, one in each state or territory. These state associations fund and support the AHA national body through a National Board made up of delegates from the states and territories. Presidents of each branch meet regularly to discuss strategic and executive matters, as the National Executive.

The AHA describes its major activities as communications, policy development, advocacy for the tourism industry, government and industry liaison and corporate partnerships. The AHA is represented on the National Tourism Alliance, Tourism Minister’s Advisory Council, National Tourism and Aviation Advisory Committee, AAA Tourism Industry Advisory Forum, Mass Gatherings Infrastructure Assurance Advisory Group, Australian Customs Service Passenger Facilitation Taskforce (Aviation and Tourism Industry). Further to this, the AHA has also held seats on the board of Tourism Australia.