Stronger Australian economy becomes double headache for tourism industry.
A www.news.com.au report says that while the Australian dollar buys more overseas, effectively making overseas travel cheaper, it is more expensive for international tourists to holiday here and more Australians are taking advantage and heading overseas for trips, leaving the domestic industry depending more on international visitors where there is minimal growth.
“Since 2001 the dollar has appreciated 65 per cent against the (Japanese) yen,” Qantas Group sales and distribution manager Rob Gurney said last week at the Australian Tourism Exchange in Brisbane.
“The exchange rate is seriously affecting our yields and profitability,” he said.
Jetstar International commercial manager Bruce Buchanan said holidays in Australia were now more expensive for travellers from overseas. Also, the airline’s business case for Japan was done when the yen was 94 to the Australian dollar. It is now 100.
“It means our routes out of Japan are not profitable,” Mr Buchanan said.
The Australian Tourism Export Council, which represents tourism operators catering for international visitors, said the growth last year in Australians going overseas was 3 per cent against a 0.5 per cent increase in visitors coming in.
In January this year 424,400 Australians went overseas – 8.4 per cent more than the same month in 2006 – while 475,900 internationals visitors came to Australia.
Report by The Mole and www.news.com.au
John Alwyn-Jones
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