VisitBritain develops Australia strategy
A senior delegation from VisitBritain is holding talks with Australian agents and wholesalers this week as the UK tourism agency plots a three-year strategy for the local market.
London-based head of partnerships, Louise Bryce, regional manager Asia Pacific and the Middle East, Sumathi Ramanathan and marketing manager Australasia Mark Haynes have been negotiating with distribution partners in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
The talks come as visitor numbers from Australia show a 13% rise on last year. Year-end growth of 3% has been targeted.
Key to the strategy is the creation of long term partnerships with major volume-driven players and the packaging of more regional product that is easy to sell for local wholesalers and agents.
Ramanathan told media yesterday that the number of Australian visitors to the UK has grown 34% over the past 10 years with spend rising a staggering 90% to $1.5 billion over the same period.
The Australian appetite for shopping has largely driven the spending boom, she said.
“Australia is our fourth most valuable market and the second largest long haul source market of visitors,” Ramanathan said.
She added that airline links between Australia and the UK have improved with the development of the 'Falcon route' through the Middle East with Emirates, Etihad and Qatar key to driving growth.
"The emergence of the Falcon route has changed the landscape of connectivity," Ramanathan said. "We are seeing the best connectivity to regional cities and that is vital for us to grow the market."
VisitBritain has predicted 1.2 million Australians will visit the UK by 2020, up from just under one million last year.
VisitBritain overseas network director Keith Beecham revealed to Travel Today at Destination Britain trade show in Bangkok in May that the packaging and distribution of product in Australia needed improving.
“During round table discussions with Australian operators, what came through loud and clear was that we are not presenting sufficient product in a way that makes it easy for the Australian trade industry to sell,” he said.
“We will work harder to identify what consumers want, what experiences they are looking for and ensure those products are pushed through the distribution channel.”
Bryce said the huge popularity of the Royal Family, which reached new heights following the birth of the Royal baby, has the potential to provide an even bigger shot in the arm for UK tourism than last year’s Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Britain is preparing for a series of events and anniversaries next year, including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the centenary of Dylan Thomas’s birth while a new visitor centre opens at Stonehenge early next year.
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