Tourism leaders dismiss dollar concerns
Tourism leaders have dismissed ongoing concerns about the impact of the high Australian dollar on the industry, stressing the focus should instead be on offering quality experiences.
Speaking at a conference in Sydney, Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said inbound numbers were up, despite the high dollar. Recent figures had also revealed five consecutive quarters of domestic tourism growth.
Success had been seen in areas where there had been investment in product, with McEvoy highlighting Hamilton Island as a “good success story for Australia”.
“Where people have invested in quality infrastructure and have a market that’s travelling at the moment, they’re actually going ok,” he said.
Accor Asia Pacific chairman Michael Issenberg also played down the dollar’s influence, urging operators to cater to markets willing to spend the money to come here, instead of fixating on price.
“It’s not about being cheap,” he said. “If we try to be cheap we’re going to lose. We are never going to outcheap Asia.”
Offering visitors a “great experience” so they spread the word about the destination was critical to its success, he said.
Meanwhile, on the domestic front, Australian Federation of Travel Agents chief executive Jayson Westbury said Australians had now run out of money and were going back to having a more “cost effective” domestic holiday.
But he highlighted the importance of a strong outbound sector with the two working “hand in glove”.
“Aussies need to on overseas holidays in order for the airlines to keep flying and for the inbound tourists to keep coming,” he said.
McEvoy agreed, adding the “gregarious” nature of Australians when overseas encouraged people to come and visit.
But offering domestic tourists a reason to holiday at home was also vital, according to Issenberg, who referred to opportunities in the business tourism and events sectors.
Taxing them to leave the country, with schemes such as the controversial passenger movement charge, is not the way forward, he stressed.
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