Strong Qantas means strong tourism: Joyce
Qantas is one of the most recognisable Australian brands in the world and the airline uses this image to boost Australian tourism, according to CEO Alan Joyce.
“People have an amazing interest and an amazing focus on Qantas,” Joyce commented at the recent ATEC Meeting Place 2014 conference, citing this as one of the reasons it received so much coverage following its succession of unscheduled landings.
“In the year to date, one thousand and two hundred cancellations were made by all airlines in the Australian market,” Joyce said, adding that the media looked to Qantas because it is the proud national carrier.
“We are one of the best in the world at recovering from disruptions,” Joyce said. “And the social media response to how our staff handled it proves this.”
But despite the recent incidents regarding five unscheduled flight landings in a week, Qantas is ready to embrace its future.
“We are aware of the role of Qantas in seizing the moment in tourism,” Joyce said.
The most recent venture in marketing for the airline is the ‘Feels Like Home’ campaign, which followed real Aussies returning home to Australia and turned it into a series of marketing ads.
“Over 1.6 million people viewed it,” Joyce said, adding that it tugged on the heartstrings of all travellers, with the response “overwhelmingly positive.”
“Our customers have also told us it perfectly captures what Qantas means to them.”
And it’s this kind of promotional marketing that Joyce says is responsible for the strong global image Qantas possesses.
“Qantas was the only Australian brand in the top 100 world brands in Forbes,” Joyce stated.
“We are one of a handful of airlines flying to every continent in the globe.”
Joyce also spoke of events that work to bring greater visitor numbers to Australia, such as the filming of Modern Family or the Ellen Degeneres trip to the country.
The recent retro livery design splashed across aircrafts was another way of keeping Qantas in the spotlight as a strong Australian brand that resonates with travellers.
Joyce said to some these campaigns might seem gimmicky, but he also stated, “In this noisy landscape, having these events and having these focuses that promote Australia…will generate huge revenue.”
“Australians want to see a strong, successful Qantas, because Qantas is not just any brand,” Joyce added.
“The responsibility of the national carrier extends to every facet of national life, and no where is this responsibility more important than in tourism.”
Partnering with Australian tourism bodies, Qantas is continuing to boost tourism in the country, with Joyce saying “now is a major opportunity” for other sectors to “step up” in the tourism industry.
Off the back of its partnership with Tourism Australia, Qantas has also pursued state tourism relationships, which combined are worth $74 million across two years.
Qantas passengers bring in $5 billion to the Australian economy every year, and it is this sense of loyalty and nationalism evoked by the airline that Joyce feels will see Qantas build a competitive future, both as an airline and an investor in Australian tourism.
“We believe a strong Qantas means a strong tourism industry, and as the tourism industry navigates its own process of change, Qantas will do everything possible to help unlock Australia’s tourism potential,” Joyce said.
“We think if we can tap into that, the future of this country’s tourism industry is extremely bright.”
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