Aussie decline just a "blip", insists VisitBritain

Aussie decline just a "blip", insists VisitBritain
By admin


Despite spending a record $1.69 billion in the UK last year, Australia was one of the few international markets to shrink in terms of volume in 2012, according to figures from VisitBritain.

Chairman Christopher Rodrigues toldTravel Today the 9% decrease in visits by Australians in 2012 came on the back of a “fantastic” result the year before, when numbers were bolstered by the climb of the Australian dollar. He described the downturn as a “blip on an upward trend”.

“It was one of the few markets that was down, and certainly one of the few long haul markets,” he said.

Rodrigues highlighted the significant cost of a visit from Australia to the UK, especially hefty for families.

“We never forget that coming to the UK from Australia is a big purchase for Australians,” he said. “It’s a lot of money even when the Aussie dollar is strong, so we have to continue to deliver value.”

A recent rise in the number of three-star properties such as Premier Inn and Travelodge will help to drive Australian visitor numbers back up, Rodrigues predicted.

“And Aussies, because they know the language and are not bothered about driving on our side of the road, are more prone to travel around the country,” he added.

Rodrigues described Australia as a "key source market" and said it was hoping to attract 1.2 million Aussies to Britain by 2020.

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