Where the hell were the extra tourists? WHAT the bloody hell happened?

gcbulletin.com.au

That was the cry from tourism bosses across the country yesterday after long-awaited international visitor numbers were announced by Tourism Research Australia.

While the Federal Government trumpeted the increase in visitor spending, Australia's visitor numbers grew by just 1 per cent last year to a little more than five million, with Asian patronage dropping off markedly.

Japanese numbers slipped by 5 per cent last year with a 4.4 per cent drop in expenditure, while numbers were also down from other key Asian markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

Chinese and Korean visitor numbers were up while Indians alone counted for 24,800 visitors to Queensland during the past year, an increase of 40 per cent.

Last year, Tourism Australia spent $180 million on an international advertising campaign aimed at bringing in more overseas visitors.

With their 'Where the Bloody Hell are You?' theme, TV ads concentrated on the same, tired images of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Ayers Rock.

The campaign was roundly criticised by tourism leaders, convincing Gold Coast Tourism that it would have to embark on its own destination marketing to lure travellers from the Middle East, India and China.

Federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey, who championed the national campaign in the UK and the United States, said the results showed that the 'Where the Bloody Hell Are You?' campaign was ' beginning to cut through'. "It is helping to attract more big-spending tourists to our shops and shores," she said.

Ms Bailey said international tourists had spent an extra $1.8 billion in Australia in 2006, with strong increases in spending by tourists from Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom.

"This is $1.8 billion more being spent in hotels, shops and restaurants right across Australia," she said.

The research showed that backpackers spent an extra $482 million in Australia last year, reaching $2.8 billion.

In total, 545,000 backpackers visited Australia.

Gold Coast Tourism chief executive Pavan Bhatia said boosting international visitor numbers was a key part of the local board's plan to increase holidaymaker numbers by two million on the Gold Coast over the next five years.

"These figures reinforce why we're chasing our own markets such as Asia, India and the Middle East," he said.

The Australian Tourism Export Council said tourism had cemented its position as Australia's second-highest export earner, behind coal.

ATEC managing director Matthew Hingerty said Australia's lack of growth in market share was a concern.

"It is important we acknowledge that Australia has not increased its market share at a time when international travel globally is growing at its fastest rate ever," he said.

He said the decline of the Asian markets could largely be attributed to the growth of low-cost carriers in the region, the strong Australian dollar and competition from destinations such as Vietnam, China and Thailand.

Printable Version | published Mar 07, 2007

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