Fragmented Marketing Costs Australia
The cost of holidaying in Australia and a fragmented approach to marketing are among the deterrents for the country’s tourism industry, according to the chairman and chief executive of Accor Asia Pacific Michael Issenberg.
He said the rise of Asia has also hurt Australia’s appeal and called for Tourism Australia to further develop Brand Australia and for state tourism bodies to back such a move and end the fragmented approach to selling the country.
Mr Issenberg said “one of the challenges that we’ve never been able to overcome is that every state is out there promoting itself internationally as opposed to getting behind Tourism Australia”.
Mr Issenberg stressed the claim that the strength of the Australian dollar was a major deterrent was only “part of the puzzle” as most visitors are unaware of the currency issue.
The cost of holidaying in Australia is an issue – hotels included — particularly for the domestic market which is also being lured overseas with cheap airfares and the strong dollar.
“One of the things that drives me nuts is people saying Australian hotel prices are still low by world standards. What a bunch of baloney,” Mr Isenberg said. “You take out New York, Paris, London and maybe Hong Kong, Australia is actually more expensive.”
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