The Mole asks TNSW some tough questions about their Japan Mission

TravelMole readers will recall that The Mole made some comments last week about outgoing NSW Tourism Minister Nori’s and TNSW Executive Director and General Manager John O’Neill’s visit to Japan and Minister Nori’s continued criticism of Tourism Australia’s “Where The Bloody Hell Are you Campaign”.

Earlier this week by email, The Mole asked John O’Neill what were perceived to be some relevant questions about the Japan Mission and in John O’Neill’s absence, the following responses, published verbatim were received from Lyndel Gray, TNSW’s Acting Executive Director and General Manager.

The Mole’s question:  How are you intending to promote these TNSW products, destinations and experiences in Japan?  [This question relates to the products participating in the Japanese mission/promotion.]

Lyndel Gray’s response: Just to clarify, these products are not Tourism NSW products as such.  They are NSW tourism businesses taking up an opportunity provided by Tourism NSW to directly be introduced to leading travel brokers in Japan.

The best way to promote products in a market such as Japan, is to get directly to the agencies responsible for packaging and selling holidays to Japanese visitors.

Missions are an excellent way for businesses in the tourism industry to travel as a group and get a hearing with the most influential travel brokers – something many businesses could not achieve cost-effectively on their own.

Tourism NSW also used the opportunity to promote the businesses, and key messages about Sydney and NSW to travel and lifestyle media. 

Raising awareness and understanding of the many fresh new products and experiences Sydney and NSW have to offer the Japanese consumer is a vital part of our Japan Strategy. 

The Mole’s question:   What experiences do they offer that appeal particularly to Japanese visitors and which segments of those visitors?

Lyndel Gray’s response:  Research has shown that Japanese visitors are now more savvy, wanting to ‘do as the locals do’.  This is very much a focus of our promotional activity.

The NSW Japan Tourism Strategy identified that the proximity of nature and wildlife to the city and its lifestyle are attractive attributes for Sydney.  The surrounding regions such as Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Hunter, Illawarra and Port Stephens offer experiences that complement the city within close proximity of the city. 

Target markets are:

Office Ladies – aged 30 plus.  Experienced, confident travellers looking for a break from routine and compelling experiences.  They like spas, up market resorts and fine food and wine.

Jukenen (over 50 years).  They don’t work and are not tied to family.  They want to indulge after giving so much to their family and can travel any time.  They like new learning experiences.

The Mole’s question:  What is TNSW doing in terms of NSW?

Lyndel Gray’s response: Tourism NSW works very closely with Tourism Australia to ensure NSW experiences are promoted as part of its consumer marketing activity in Japan, as Australia’s lead agency in attracting international visitors to our shores. 

The Visiting Journalists Program and Tourism NSW’s International Media Visits program are key aspects of generating coverage of NSW as a destination.

Beyond that, we broker opportunities for the NSW tourism industry to partner with international travel distributors – through activities such as this Mission and our ongoing trade education initiatives in-market.

The Mole’s question: What $ funds are currently allocated to Japanese promotion by TNSW?

Lyndel Gray’s response: Commercial-in-confidence.  Our base budget is supplemented by working in partnership with the industry and Tourism Australia – it’s a collaborative effort.

The Mole’s question: What are those funds spent on?

Lyndel Gray’s response:  Commercial-in-confidence.  Our base budget is supplemented by working in partnership with the industry and Tourism Australia – it’s a collaborative effort.

The Mole’s question:  Are additional funds going to be allocated in the future to build upon this visit?  

Lyndel Gray’s response:  Japan continues to be considered an important market for NSW and will be funded accordingly for the mix of trade and consumer activities detailed above.

The Mole’s question: What was the cost of this current Japanese promotion/visit?

Lyndel Gray’s response: Not available.

The Mole’s question: How is its effectiveness/ROI being measured?

Lyndel Gray’s response:  Trade missions are part of a long-term strategy, so results will come in over the longer term. However, the inclusion of new products in brochures, increased destination coverage in key media and feedback on business generated by NSW product suppliers, will all form the basis of measurement over the course of the next 12 months. 

Individual commercial results from the tourism businesses participating in the mission will be commercial-in-confidence.

But generally speaking, the main campaigns and the television commercials used by the Federal Government have tended to promote the beach, and the natural beauty, and not, in my view, focus enough on cultural aspects and I think that’s a disadvantage to Sydney.

The Mole’s question:  So what is TNSW’s solution?

Tourism NSW recognised these issues in the market quite some time ago, and developed the NSW Japan Tourism Strategy, in conjunction with industry during 2004.  This was actually prior to the Federal Government’s Japan Action Plan.

As the article in last week’s Bulletin outlines, changes in the Japanese market are not issues NSW faces alone.

Australia as a whole has an image issue in Japan.

Following the Japanese recession, nearby Asian destinations previously ignored by this market, have experienced a resurgence in interest.

In the face of this, our strategy is to continue to:

Pursue a highly targeted approach to constantly refresh Sydney’s position in the minds Japanese consumers as an exciting, diverse, holiday destination as opposed to just a city gateway;

Educate and re-involve the travel trade both in Sydney and in-market; and

Work with key product to grow and evolve Sydney’s product offering to excite consumer demand.

Since the strategy was released, Tourism NSW has led two major missions to market; held boardroom sales missions in market, hosted six magazines and two television programs through our NSW International Media Visits program, co-hosted with Tourism Australia, two television programs, one radio and five magazines through the Visiting Journalist Program (VJP), refreshed imagery in Japanese collateral so it’s more in line with the new experiences we’ve found have resonance in the market, executed 10 tactical marketing campaigns with partners and appointed a NSW-based Japan Market specialist to work with local trade; and conducted trade famils of Sydney and surrounding regions.

Post script response by The Mole:  The Mole thanks Lyndel for her response in John O’Neills’ absence.  It is disappointing though that a State Government Department publicly funded body is still so secretive about the amount of public money it spends on an activity or in a market. 

The Mole would have thought that this information should be in the public domain and freely available.

The Mole appreciates that partner funding may not be public knowledge, but the Government’s spend is!

It is also disappointing that TNSW appears on the one hand to be working with Tourism Australia and then on the other hand criticises it, not least of all outgoing Minister Nori’s ongoing comments!

Perhaps tourism should be considered in the same light as education, with the industry pushing for one national approach to tourism with the time having come for one national agency, minimising wasteful duplication of activity and funds and divisive political motivated unproductive comments!  The Mole dreams on!

Report by The Mole attempting to unearth the real story for TravelMole readers!