A new campaign specifically targeting Japanese tourists will be a positive step towards reinvigorating the Australia`s flagging market a peak industry body has said. Australian Tourism Export Council Managing Director…
A new campaign specifically targeting Japanese tourists will be a positive step towards reinvigorating the Australia`s flagging market a peak industry body has said. Australian Tourism Export Council Managing Director Matthew Hingerty, said the new Tourism Australia campaign, which will focus on Australia’s world heritage assets, was a good fit with the Japan market.
“Australia has 17 world heritage sites, including natural attractions such as Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree rainforest, and two man-made attractions, Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building and the recently-added Sydney Opera House,” Mr Hingerty said.
“These are major selling points for Japanese visitors who place strong value on the world heritage brand.”
Mr Hingerty said while the new, targeted campaign was a positive step, it should not be seen as a “quick fix” solution as the decline in the Japan market, which had decreased 10 percent during the 2006/07 financial year[*], could be attributed to a number of factors.
He said the increasing Australian dollar against the yen, decreased aviation capacity and fierce competition from cheaper destinations such as China and Thailand were also contributing factors.
“In 2000 for example, ¥250,000 bought AUD$3854 and today that amount buys around $2380 – almost $1500 less – which is a lot when you are doing your holiday budget. That said however, Japan is still Australia’s third largest market with 610,000 Japanese coming here last financial year spending around $1 billion. This still makes Japan one of our most important markets and it is imperative that industry and government don’t lose sight of that and continue to stay the course.”
Mr Hingerty said it was also important that the states support the campaign on an infrastructure level by providing assistance tools such as Japanese signage in national parks.
He said ATEC, through its Japan Policy Panel, which included key representatives of the Japan market in Australia, looked forward to seeing the new campaign, due to launch in September.
Over the past two months ATEC has run a series of roadshows focusing on the state of the Japan market in major tourist centres including Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. A final roadshow will be held on the Gold Coast next week.
[*] ABS Overseas Arrivals and Departures figures: June 2007
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