Australian dollar and factors closer to home have
seen numbers to Australia fall in recent years, but the tourism board is pinning hopes of a quick recovery on specifi c ‘types’ of travellers, says Debbie Ward and Steve Hartridge
AUSTRALIA T
There’s No Place Like Oz A buoyant
he European recession and strong Aussie dollar has led to Tourism Australia setting its
sights on ‘less cost-sensitive’ travellers’. For the latest phase of its There’s Nothing Like Australia campaign TA has partnered with boutique hotel specialists Mr & Mrs Smith to produce an online showcase called the Best of Australia collection. Broken into the themes Hidden Gems, Journeys, Cuisine, Wildlife and Coastline it features suggested locations and activities supported by strong video content. It is part of Tourism Australia’s continuing focus on 50-69 year-old first- time visitors, a sector growing both in numbers and spending. Also on TA’s radar are those on a gap-
year (or two), specifically young travellers on an extended stay in the country on a Working Holiday Visa. Although they arrive with limited initial funds, their lengthy stay in Australia translates to a significant overall spend.
Travel agent Penny Bones, proprietor
of Southern Cross Travel, says she’s had to get creative to persuade many clients that a holiday Down Under is still affordable. “I think people are taking much longer
to make up their minds. I tend to use all the special deals out there like three nights for the price of two and discounts on things and throw in a bit of extra stuff like doing their visa free and throwing in a car to the airport so they get added value.” Kay Stephens of Stephens Travel says
there is ‘definitely a problem with cost’. “You can’t deny that the exchange
rate is hurting business to Australia. We are still selling it and people are still coming (to Australia). I think the same people that have always travelled to Australia are still booking, but probably not as often. Rather than heading Down Under every year, they are maybe doing this now every two or three years.” Pushing the coach and small-group
tours of Australia can also help clinch the value-conscious traveller because with meals, accommodation and travel included, they can budget up front. Premier Holidays reports Australia
bookings are actually up 35% for 2013 though it says last-minute bookings have fared worse due to airline sales to competing destinations in Asia and South Africa. A continuing airlift boost on the Kangaroo Route should help. While Qantas has dropped to a codeshare only from London, and ended its flights via Hong Kong and Bangkok, Qatar Airways launched a Perth service, via Doha, on July 3. Flights from London-Heathrow and Manchester are currently operating three times a week and become daily from November. At the same time, Malaysia Airlines introduced its first Airbus A380 between Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur with onward connections to Australian cities.
LUXURY LODGES
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