Published on : Wednesday, May 9, 2018
“We are looking to increase the focus on the markets with the greatest opportunity,” said John O’Sullivan, managing director of Tourism Australia.
Those markets comprise affluent US travelers, along with the United Kingdom and China tourists as well. China has the greatest overall spend in Australia, even though travelers from the U.S. and the U.K. spend more per capita.
Therefore, Tourism Australia will first aim the U.S. and U.K. markets, and will eventually concentrate on China. No matter the country, the main motive is to focus on travelers who stays longer and spends more.
In the past decade, Australia has emerged immensely in terms of luxury tourism offerings. The drive started with the establishment of Luxury Lodges of Australia in 2010.
According to the organization’s executive director Penny Rafferty, by 2010, “the Australian tourism landscape had changed dramatically. Independent entrepreneurs were investing in building ‘wow’ properties like Southern Ocean Lodge (on Kangaroo Island, South Australia), Qualia (on Hamilton Island, Queensland) and Saffire (in Tasmania).” Moreover, lodges that had been part of the original P & O Resorts portfolio were being sold off and reinvigorated under new owners.
“For the first time, Australia had critical mass of true high-end [room rates average $800 per day per person] lodging product. But the world didn’t know that. As small properties can’t market globally, [so] a collective voice was our solution. Once Luxury Lodges of Australia launched, the industry saw the power of collective marketing,” Rafferty said.
Tags: Tourism Australia