The ACT government has spent more than $750,000 on overseas trade missions since the 2012 election, with Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China among the most visited destinations.
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Data provided to the Legislative Assembly this month shows Chief Minister Andrew Barr's visit to the US and Japan in October 2015 was the most expensive trip of the current Assembly term, costing more than $212,000.
Mr Barr, who is Economic Development Minister and Treasurer, said the trade and investment benefits of government missions overseas "far outweighs their cost" and gave Canberra businesses the opportunity to make a "soft landing" in potential markets.
The figures come as he completes a week-long trade mission to Singapore and China.
He said overseas engagement had helped develop Canberra's brand as a tourism and business destination and had brought big-ticket investment and deals, including direct international flights from Singapore to Canberra and Wellington and investment in mixed-used development sites in Canberra from Shenzhen, China.
The October 2015 trip included stops in San Francisco, Austin, Washington DC, Nara and Tokyo. The cost of travel in Asia is significantly less expensive; with an April 2013 mission to Indonesia and Singapore the most expensive trip, costing $87,155.
The cost of overseas travel in the term will peak in the 2015-16 financial year at $249,863, as Mr Barr continues to pitch Canberra to international carriers for freight and passenger services.
Overseas trade mission travel in the first three years of the Assembly term averaged $168,800.
Mr Barr said trade missions included international outreach activities by the government or businesses to promote Canberra and its capability in trade, investment, tourism and education.
"Trade missions have direct and indirect economic benefits and these come in both
short and long-term time frames," Mr Barr said.
"Accordingly, it is not possible to measure the economic benefit from an individual mission. A continued effort in these markets is required to generate desired results."
Mr Barr listed a dozen Canberra businesses that had benefited from overseas trade missions organised or sponsored by the government, including WildBear Entertainment, QuintessenceLabs and Inland Trading Company.
Canberra Business Chamber trips to Singapore and South Korea last year cost a combined total of $64,000, while five other trips taking in Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Tokyo cost a combined total of $81,600.
"The trade mission format is a way of 'soft landing' companies with export capabilities in new markets and also mixing these companies with more experienced exporters with more developed market strategies and experience," Mr Barr said.
"This mix of capabilities will see some companies achieve early success, while others will take much longer or not progress their plans at all, based on the accelerated learning of a mission."
"Trade missions are also about branding the ACT – taking local business capability and innovation message to new markets, exposing local businesses to international networking opportunities, potential partners and investors, and setting up opportunities for local businesses to pursue further trade and export development links."
He said studies had shown active exporter businesses tend to grow more quickly, pay higher wages and have higher rates of productivity.
Two ACT film industry trade missions, to Cannes, France, in May 2013 and Hong Kong in March 2015, cost taxpayers $46,000. Mr Barr's trip to Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland in February 2015 cost $7566.
Tom McIlroy travelled to Singapore as a guest of Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Tourism Board.
