Domestic tourism has to be turned around
Australians must be encouraged to travel at home to give domestic tourism a badly needed shot in the arm, according to peak industry body, Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF).
TTF National Manager, Tourism and Events, Caroline Wilkie said Australia has a lot to offer, but many people are choosing to spend their holiday dollars elsewhere.
“Domestic tourism has been on a decline since 2000, with expenditure down 3 per cent over that period,†Ms Wilkie said.
“That compares to an 8.8 per cent rise in Australians travelling overseas, and a massive 44.7 per cent jump in per capita expenditure on international travel.
Ms Wilkie said nearly 50 of the country’s tourism leaders are attending a national forum in Sydney today to discuss ways to arrest the slide in domestic tourism and what needs to be done to reinvigorate the domestic tourism market.
“The variety and perceived value of overseas travel has seen thousands of Australians choosing to holiday abroad, especially with the strong Australian dollar and higher petrol prices†Ms Wilkie said.
“There’s also a perceived cachet associated with going overseas – we have to come up with a way to give domestic destinations the same appeal.
“It’s not as though we don’t have great destinations, but it’s also imperative we can give the market what it wants. We have to offer the same high standards of accommodation and service holidaymakers believe they’ll get elsewhere.
“We also must ensure we’re developing products which will cater for our ageing population and the changing nature of families – both factors which are influencing how and where people travel.
“With over 225,000 Australians living in Regional Australia employed in tourism, and most of these dependent upon domestic and not international visitors, there are so many regional communities that depend upon finding solutions to restore demand for a local holiday.” Ms Wilkie concluded.
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