Tourism Australia has used several campaigns to promote Australian Working Holidays and general tourism over the past year.
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02 February 2010
Brits still flying Down Under for Australian tourism
Even in the face of the global financial crisis, Australia has managed to attract more than half a million British travellers in the first 11 months of last year.
Tourism Australia has credited the continuing attraction of Australia to several marketing strategies focusing on Australian working holidays, short holiday, and luxury tourism.
The total numbers of visitors, 478,600, was an increase of one per cent on the same period in 2008 and came despite the global financial crisis.
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that in the month of November alone, some 64,200 visitors from the UK arrived in Australia: a 5.5 per cent increase on November 2008.
Tourism Australia general manager for Europe Rodney Harrex said:“Throughout the economic down turn we continued to market actively to the British public via consumer marketing and trade campaigns, as we felt sure that there was still an appetite from Brits to holiday in Australia”.
Some of the promotions included a partnership with airlines and tour operators to deliver competitive prices, with flights from various regional airports and two week holidays in Australia to attract first time visitors.
All visitors to Australia must have an Australian Visa, with the most popular for tourism being the ETA Visa because it is easy to apply for, is quickly processed, and allows the holder to enter Australia for up to three months.
Tourism Australia also focused on the Australian Working Holiday, promoting to 18-30 year olds the program that allows them to work and travel for up to 24 months.
“Our campaigns invited Brits to come and enjoy uniquely Aussie experiences, delivering messaging about our weird and wonderful wildlife, our welcoming personality and the rejuvenating power of a holiday in Australia.
“The contrast between the laidback coastal lifestyle in Oz and the climate – from an economic and a weather perspective here in the UK – certainly resonated in this market,” Mr Harrex said.
The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people lodge their Australian Visa applications with the Australian Embassy.
