Potential code share partners begin to argue on the Tasman?
Qantas has expressed its clear annoyance at a suggestion by Air New Zealand that some tourism operators are not pulling their weight in promoting New Zealand as a destination.
Qantas flies domestic routes in New Zealand as well as its trans-Tasman flights, but has rejected the idea of contributing to New Zealand’s tourism marketing funds.
Qantas Regional General Manager Grant Lilly at TRENZ in Christchurch said Qantas spent far more than Air New Zealand in promoting Australasia to the rest of the world.
He added, “Qantas performs more than any other airline in the world in terms of what it brings into this part of the world and the money it spends promoting this region.”
“In New Zealand, Qantas has been a significant player for a very long period of time.”
Mr Lilly was responding to comments yesterday by Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe who told the same expo that his airline spends about $NZ120 million annually marketing and promoting New Zealand.
Mr Fyfe said, “If I’m honest, at times, it does feel pretty lonely out there when you’re in offshore markets”. “When I say others aren’t pulling their weight, it’s about us working more collaboratively together to say, ‘How do you maximise the opportunity?'”
Mr Lilly said if rival airlines were included among the operators criticised by Mr Fyfe, the logic had failed him, adding, “Is the proposition that if an airline flies to a country it should then give money to the tourism authority of that country in order to market its product?”
“If you fly to Fiji, does that mean you have to give a bit of money to the Fiji Visitors’ Bureau? “I wonder similarly if you fly to Australia, that Air New Zealand should make a greater contribution to the marketing efforts of Tourism Australia?”
“Qantas “definitely” pulled its weight in marketing the region and we spend a lot more than $NZ120 million promoting this part of the world in the major markets of the world,” he said.
“Most airlines are in a position where they certainly contribute very actively in promoting their home destination and work actively with other destinations that are important to their networks.”
Qantas and Air New Zealand are seeking approval from competition authorities for a deal on code-sharing for trans-Tasman routes.
Report by The Mole
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