Australia goes all out to court the travel trade
Debbie WardTourism Australia has reiterated its commitment to the trade as it undertakes a major study into distribution opportunities.
Speaking at the largest ever Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), held in Melbourne/Narrm over 19-23 May, managing director Phillipa Harrison said: “We’ve been talking about ‘disintermediation’ – the consumer going direct to the product – for a long time now, but what we’re actually seeing is that people still want to talk to someone when they’re travelling across the world.”
However, the tourism organisation is looking at AI and other potential opportunities as part of a “strategic research and forecasting project” called Distribution 2035, which is to be concluded later this year. In 2012, Distribution 2020 resulted in a boost to the Aussie Specialist agent training programme.
Harrison said Australia was confident of exceeding 2019’s global arrival figures this year, with airline capacity equalling pre-pandemic levels, but acknowledged it was “a slightly different 100%” with growth, in particular, coming from Asia.
UK-Australia capacity is lower than in 2019, but Singapore Airlines will fly from Gatwick for the first time from June 2024, with connections to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. There are also new options via mainland Europe, with Qantas launching non-stop flights between Perth and Paris this summer, having resumed a Rome service last year.
From December, Qantas’s Darwin- Singapore route, last operated in 2006, will return, while Brisbane to Singapore capacity has recently been increased.
Virgin Australia is launching regional flights from Brisbane and Melbourne to Uluru on 6 June. A spokesperson said the slots would “marry up nicely for international connections”. It also launched a Cairns-Tokyo route last October, while a new tie-in with Qatar Airways means Virgin Australia’s 64 domestic routes are fed by more connections from the UK.
On the ground, Queensland has theheadline product developments as it looks ahead to hosting the Olympics in 2032. Queens Wharf, an Aus $3.6 billion (£1.9bn) tourism project spanning heritage and contemporary buildings, will open its first phase this August. At its heart, The Star Brisbane will comprise four high-end hotels, including a Rosewood, which are expected to open within 18 months, as well as restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.
Developments down under
Elsewhere in the state, a family-friendly sister to luxury lodge Qualia has just been announced for Great Barrier Reef gateway Hamilton Island. The Sundays will feature 59 rooms (some of which are interconnecting) and opens next year.
Visit Victoria used ATE to stress Melbourne now has Australia’s greatest hotel capacity, which recently allowed it to host 60,000 Taylor Swift fans. Much of the growth is at the high end, including a new Ritz Carlton and Le Meridien.
Among new touring product, a Station Stays self-drive touring route has just launched in the Australia’s Golden Outback region of Western Australia. It links cattle farms with camping and other accommodation, plus experiences ranging from stargazing to tours of land regeneration projects.
Journey Beyond has refurbished Gold Class on its popular Darwin-Adelaide The Ghan train route and unveiled a new Gold Premier tier. The brand’s Outback Spirit overland 4x4 touring brand became UK-trade bookable this year too. It features a new eight-day tour of Arnhem Land and Kakadu, which combines well with The Ghan.
New trade portals are available from the Tourism Australia-backed collectives Discover Aboriginal Experiences and Luxury Lodges of Australia. They feature itinerary outlines, accommodation suggestions and downloadable brochures.
Luxury Lodges of Australia announced at ATE the addition of the 12-room Bullo River Station set in Northern Territory’s East Kimberley region, rich with wildlife and rock art. On Board, a seven-cabin catamaran making expeditions in Tasmania, is another new member.
Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes tours of Melbourne Cricket Ground and a “become the artists” private gallery experience are new from another collective, Cultural Attractions of Australia, which will announce two new members in July.
Nicole Mitchell, executive officer for Discover Aboriginal Experiences, said its own portfolio went beyond bush tucker and art demonstrations to reflect a continuing culture.
“You could be doing a quad bike tour, be kayaking or on a stand-up paddleboard, or doing a three- or four-day walk in Tasmania,” she explained, adding the tours “link with all the passion points of people travelling to Australia”.
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