Article
JOHN FITZGERALD- Tourism Tasmania CEO
This time last year I was thrilled to report that a record number of international visitors came to Tasmania in 2016. Twelve months on and the latest International Visitor Survey shows international visitors grew by a further 18 percent, with Tassie welcoming 279 000 overseas visitors. Not only did we set a new record for the state but we also achieved the highest rate of international growth of all Australian states and territories. Our key international markets are driving exceptional international growth from China (up 60%), Canada (up 53%), Germany (up 45%) and the USA (up 33%). These visitors spent a record $497 million last year with international leisure visitors staying an average 12.3 nights in the state compared to an average of 8.6 nights for domestic leisure visitors. There is no doubt the profile of our award- winning tourism products and experiences, combined with our premium food and drink, are making Tasmania a must-visit destination for more international and interstate travellers. This was certainly echoed at the recent Australian Tourism Awards where Tasmania came home with three gold, five silver and four bronze, plus the Tasmanian Walking Company was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Congratulations to all the Tasmanian winners and nominees on such an outstanding achievement. You may have heard that Tourism Tasmania’s first ever international TV campaign recently
ran in the UK. The campaign, titled Under Down Under, featured iconic images and animals, encapsulating the uniqueness of Tasmania and urged potential visitors to uncover the hidden gem of Australia and discover the nation’s best kept secret. Our research tells us that February to May is the key booking period for UK travellers looking for their next big overseas holiday, so we aired the TVC at just the right time to promote Tasmania during a UK winter when many are inside imagining their next escape. Our research also shows that it’s the right time to invest in the United Kingdom to take advantage of a rebound in consumer confidence. The market was also well prepared through multiple flight deals, offers and content about Australia – especially through a campaign which kicked off in January run by Tourism Australia, Flight Centre and Etihad. This month we have wrapped up our summer advocacy competition and campaign #TassieStyle. The popularity of #TassieStyle showed that there is a lot of love for our state from locals and tourists alike. More than 37 000 entries were received for the competition element of the campaign, revealing people’s personal TassieStyle experiences over the summer months. The campaign has performed far better than we ever imagined. I want to extend a big thank you to all the local hospitality operators, tourism operators and promotional partners
who got involved and encouraged so many visitors and locals to post photos of their TassieStyle experience. Things won’t be slowing down for us anytime soon. We are working on the next big campaign and are also getting out on the road to share an update on Tourism Tasmania’s activities and engage with industry stakeholders. If you would like to get along to a session in your region, keep an eye out for a ‘save the date’ via industry communications from your regional tourism organisation. Plus, don’t forget to sign up to our new look email newsletter Tourism Talk – subscribe via www.tourismtasmania.com.au I’m also looking forward to presenting at the TICT’s Better Together conference next month with our Chief Marketing Officer, Emma Terry. We will be providing an update of Tourism Tasmania’s current marketing campaigns and strategies. The conference has a jam-packed program including tourism skills workshops and plenty of opportunity for networking. I encourage you to check it out. As we ease into the cooler months, it is pertinent to reflect on the past season and acknowledge all the hard work our businesses, and the people behind them, have contributed to our visitor economy. Working together, I am confident our state’s tourism industry will continue to flourish and grow and achieve our shared goals in 2018.
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