Corporate Plan

Transcription

1 Corporate Plan Tourism Australia Corporate Plan 1

2 Contents Message from the Minister 3 Introduction 4 Our role, objectives and deliverables 6 Tourism Our operating environment 10 Achieving our objectives 16 Measuring our performance 20 Where to find us 22 Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team 23 2 Tourism Australia Corporate Plan Freycinet, Tasmania

3 Message from the Minister As we move further into the Asian Century, the foundations for the Australian tourism industry s Tourism 2020 strategy are well and truly set, and we have seen strong progress towards realising its benefits. Tourism Australia s Corporate Plan illustrates the Australian Government s ongoing commitment to Tourism 2020, to help industry realise its potential and increase visitor overnight spending to A$140 billion. Since its launch, Tourism 2020 has been wholeheartedly supported by Tourism Australia on many fronts. Tourism Australia s global There s nothing like Australia campaign is perhaps the strongest, most adaptable and customer-focused campaign we have seen, and I am sure it will endure for years to come. This campaign is well-researched and well-targeted and has positioned Australia well in the growth markets of Asia, driven by China, whilst maintaining the balance with our traditional markets in Europe, North America and Japan to harness the recovery of these markets; and we have begun to see signs of recovery, especially from the USA. It is also performing well at home, with strong results for domestic tourism over the last year. A key part of Tourism Australia s success with the campaign so far has been in its one voice approach to marketing Australia internationally. Securing partnerships with industry, airlines and state and territory tourism colleagues has allowed Tourism Australia to amplify the impact of There s nothing like Australia in our international markets, increasing campaign resources and delivering a stronger, unified message to international travel consumers to convert their dream of visiting Australia into a booking for a trip. Marketing alone is not enough to ensure the success of Tourism Tourism Australia has been working alongside industry and government agencies to help grow tourism investment in Australia, support increased aviation access through the development and marketing of new aviation routes to Australia, and to help lift the quality of our country s tourism offerings through the T-QUAL Accreditation program. Australia s tourism sector employs around half a million people directly, and generates A$96 billion in spending. Importantly almost half of every tourism dollar is spent in regional areas, supporting jobs and development across Australia. These are key drivers for Tourism Australia and for the Tourism 2020 strategy to help the sector realise its potential. Gary Gray AO MP Minister for Tourism Tourism Australia Corporate Plan 3

4 Introduction Message from the Managing Director Tourism Australia s Corporate Plan is an important document, setting out our key priorities for the next three years, and moving us ever closer towards achieving our industry s longer-term goals to create a successful and sustainable industry. Like our industry s Tourism 2020 strategy, Tourism Australia s Corporate Plan has been a collaborative approach, developed in consultation with the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, the Australian tourism industry and our State and Territory tourism partners. In many ways, 2012 was a year of transition for our industry, as we continued to adapt to the Asian Century and the enormous opportunities provided by the region s fast emerging and increasingly mobile middle classes. Forty two per cent a of the 6.1 million international visitor arrivals to our country last year were from the Asian region and seven out of our top 10 inbound markets lie within the region b. Our Corporate Plan recognises that we must adapt to this changing global tourism landscape and continue to target the fast growing Asian markets, while maintaining strong effort in traditional markets such as the United States, the UK and Japan, which still account for significant value in the Australian visitor economy. Importantly, this balanced portfolio approach to our marketing means the industry s Tourism 2020 target is achievable and on track - to increase overnight tourism spending annually to as much as A$115-A$140 billion by the decade s end. In terms of Tourism Australia s core function creating demand we will continue our international campaign, There s nothing like Australia. The next three years will see the campaign - now backed by more than 200 partners - further embedded and expanded across our key markets in the global marketing push. This strong partnering approach and our ability to speak with one voice remains central to our thinking as we look forward to and beyond. Our program also includes a major push to target the youth market, focusing on promoting the benefits of the working holiday visa. Once again, this is a collaborative effort, involving the States and Territories and with strong backing from industry. This is an important initiative youth travellers currently represent 26 per cent c of all our international visitors to Australia each year, contributing nearly A$12 billion annually in tourism spending. Tourism Australia will also build upon its growing role within aviation and tourism infrastructure development. You ll see more strategic partnerships with key airlines serving our country, similar to the ones we signed with Virgin Australia, Emirates, Etihad and various Chinese carriers in Indeed, Tourism Australia works with 20 carriers servicing our country. We are also seeing new investment in hotels and other tourism attractions, aided by the strong partnership we established last year with Austrade and with the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. I am optimistic about the next three years ahead and the overall direction our industry is heading and believe we have both the partnerships and the plans in place to deliver sustained success for our industry. Andrew McEvoy MANAGING DIRECTOR a Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics Short Term Arrivals at December 2012 b Australia s top 10 inbound markets for spend are New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, India c Youth Travellers are defined as people aged years. The calculation is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics Short Term Arrivals at December Tourism Australia Corporate Plan

5 Uluru, Northern Territory Tourism Australia Corporate Plan 5

6 Our role, objectives and deliverables Our role Tourism Australia is a statutory authority responsible for promoting Australia as a tourist destination internationally as well as encouraging Australians to travel throughout Australia. It is governed by a Board of Directors that reports to the Australian Minister for Tourism, under the Tourism Australia Act 2004 and the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act and is directed by the Minister s Statement of Expectations. As Australia s national tourism organisation, Tourism Australia s role is to increase the value of international and domestic leisure tourism and international business events. It also supports the Australian tourism industry to increase visitor dispersal within Australia to the benefit of the Australian economy. Tourism Australia and its predecessor, the Australian Tourist Commission, has been vigorously marketing Australia internationally as a tourist destination since During this period Australia has established a reputation as an innovator in tourism marketing and has built one of the world s most successful and desirable destination brands. Our objectives Tourism Australia will work with industry and all levels of government across Australia to maximise the economic contribution of Australian tourism. The industry has set itself a target to increase overnight tourism expenditure from A$70 billion in 2009 to between A$115 billion and A$140 billion in the year 2020 (up from a trend estimate of A$97 billion). To help achieve this target, Tourism Australia is focused on: > > Increased numbers of leisure and business events visitors > > Continued improvements in visitor value (spend per trip / spend per night) > > Being competitive with out-of-region travel destinations 2 > > Supporting supply side issues (investment and aviation). Our deliverables Legislative deliverables Tourism Australia is tasked with several key deliverables under the Tourism Australia Act 2004: > > To influence people to travel to Australia, including for events > > To influence people travelling to Australia to disperse and travel throughout Australia > > To influence Australians to travel throughout Australia, including for events > > To help foster a sustainable tourism industry in Australia; and > > To help increase the economic benefits to Australia from tourism. ATE The CAC Act details rules about reporting and accountability and other matters relating to Commonwealth authorities such as banking and investment and the conduct of officers 2 Out of region travel destinations are those that are beyond the target customers immediate geographic region. This is a short-haul travel decision for the target customer and so is not a direct competitor with Australia. 6 Tourism Australia Corporate Plan

7 priorities Tourism Australia s priorities for are as directed by the Minister for Tourism in the Minister s Statement of Expectations for Tourism Australia (2011): > > Perform objectives and functions as defined in the Tourism Australia Act 2004 > > Ensure that the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy and the 2020 Tourism Industry Potential are core priorities for Tourism Australia 3 > > Market Australia to international and domestic markets as a leisure tourism and events destination, and to international markets as a business events and education destination > > Engage support of industry partners in domestic and international co-operative marketing campaigns, and ensure maximum state and territory government and private sector investment > > Work towards improving quality within the Australian tourism industry, including through the promotion of the National Tourism Accreditation framework (T-QUAL Accreditation) > > Actively engage with key stakeholders to advance the 2020 Tourism Industry Potential 4, including working with other Australian Government departments and agencies to facilitate Australian tourism investment opportunities and additional sustainable air services > > Lead industry communications and disseminate research and other information in cooperation with the Tourism Research Advisory Board > > Implement and maintain high standards of corporate governance across the organisation meet all legislative requirements, comply with Commonwealth Procurement Rules and ensure Tourism Australia has strategies for managing risk. 3 Now Tourism Now Tourism 2020 Cape Leveque, Western Australia Tourism Australia Corporate Plan 7

8 Tourism 2020 Tourism is a significant industry for Australia. It generates A$96 billion in spending, directly employs around half a million Australians and is Australia s number one services export. It helps fund critical infrastructure like airports, roads and hotels and plays an important role in the economic development of regional Australia, with 45 cents in every tourist dollar spent in regional Australia. Every dollar spent on tourism generates 91 cents in other parts of the economy which is a higher multiplier than those achieved for mining, agriculture and financial services. For tourism to continue to play a significant role, it needs to be more globally competitive. Tourism 2020 is the long term strategy for the Australian tourism industry. Its focus is to improve Australian tourism s performance and competitiveness in the global tourism marketplace. It is a single plan that links tourism supply with demand. It is being implemented via a whole of government approach with industry to support industry growth, provide tools to compete more effectively in the global economy and take advantage of opportunities that Asia presents. It has been endorsed by all States and Territories. Tourism Ministers from the Australian, State and Territory Governments lead the implementation of Tourism 2020, supported by the Australian Standing Committee of Tourism (ASCOT) Chief Executive Officers of peak government organisations. ATE 2012 Tourism 2020 aims to: > > Increase overnight tourism spend from A$70 billion in 2009 to between A$115 billion-a$140 billion in the year 2020 $160 $140 Tourism International + Domestic Total overnight expenditure (incl pre-paid international airfares and packages) in nominal terms ($billions) Linear trend Upper scenario Lower scenario $140B > > Hold or grow market share in key markets $120 $115B > > Increase tourism labour and skills $100 $97B > > Increase accommodation capacity, particularly in capital cities $80 $60 $77.5B > > Increase international and domestic aviation capacity $40 $20 Progressing the Strategic Priorities Gaining the Momentum Looking beyond 2020 > > Improve industry quality and productivity $ Tourism Australia Corporate Plan

9 Six strategic areas of focus have been identified where governments will work with industry to increase Australia s competitive edge and deliver tangible benefits for Australian tourism businesses. Tourism Australia s contribution to these areas is outlined in the table below. Tourism 2020 strategic area of focus Grow visitor demand from Asia, particularly China and India Build competitive digital capacity to attract more visitors and enable online transactions Encourage investment development through regulatory reform Tourism Australia s contribution > > Leading the development and implementation of the China 2020 Plan and the India 2020 Plan > > Marketing of Australia as a tourism destination across Asia, including cooperative marketing campaigns with airlines and industry > > Sharing insights on the travel needs and behaviours of target customers > > Delivering Asia Marketing Fund projects, including: Accelerating the China 2020 Geographic Strategy to grow outbound tourism to Australia and gain competitive advantage in the secondary cities of Qingdao, Chengdu and Chongqing; strengthening efforts to rebuild the Japanese inbound market; increasing aviation cooperative partnerships; undertaking research to assist industry s understanding and engagement with Asia. (Conducted by Tourism Research Australia) > > Increasing emphasis and resources on digital marketing in Tourism Australia s marketing mix investment in digital has increased 88 per cent since 2010/11 > > Ensuring development and delivery of digital and online devices and apps keep pace with the needs of the target customer > > Participating in the Digital Distribution Working Group and National Online Strategy for Tourism to discuss and share best practice approaches to build competitive digital capability. Achievements include translation of Australian Tourism Data Warehouse database into Mandarin and development of a Tourism Australia China website (launch planned for mid 2013) > > Working with Austrade and the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism to attract investment in Australian tourism infrastructure following inclusion of tourism as an Australian Government national investment priority > > Delivery of the Investment Monitor and Investment Guide in conjunction with Austrade and the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, and state and territory governments > > Continuing to create a suite of marketing tools in partnership with Austrade Improve tourism transport capacity and infrastructure to allow increasing visitors to travel to and through Australia Addressing labour and skills shortages, including greater Indigenous participation Increasing industry productivity, innovation and quality > > Involvement in the Tourism Access Working Group, including supporting the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism on air service negotiations and other access issues > > Supporting existing and developing new routes and capacity through partnerships with airlines, airports and State and Territory Tourism Organisations > > Membership of the Tourism Visa Advisory Group, working closely with the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on visa issues > > Promoting and developing Indigenous tourism product through the Indigenous Tourism Champions Program, industry marketing initiatives and participation in the Indigenous Tourism Group > > Promoting labour and skills initiatives such as activity with Monster.com through the Global Youth campaign > > Marketing the T-QUAL accreditation program > > Active membership of the Tourism Research Advisory Board > > Continuing promotion of Australia s iconic landscapes through the Australia s National Landscapes program a partnership between Tourism Australia and Parks Australia. In 2012, a major project commenced to strengthen infrastructure and planning across national landscapes > > Development of a 2020 Distribution Strategy in partnership with State and Territory Tourism Organisations, to ensure Australian tourism product is effectively distributed A full update on Tourism Australia s progress toward its Tourism 2020 goals is available at Further information on Tourism 2020 is available at Tourism Australia Corporate Plan 9

10 Our operating environment - Australian Tourism Industry Outlook Overview Australian tourism is uniquely placed to take advantage of this Asian century, with the region likely to provide over a million additional visitors to Australia by Australia will not fully reap these benefits unless it is committed to creating resilience and continuous improvement. China is already Australia s most valuable market in financial terms and will remain a top priority for the Australian tourism industry during Whilst targeting growth, Tourism Australia will maintain a balanced portfolio approach to its global marketing over the period, recognising the important contribution of traditional markets such as the UK, USA and Japan as well as the need to increase presence in those markets with the potential to provide strong returns. Economic Outlook World Economic Outlook The short-term outlook for the world economy is weak, with Consensus Economics forecasting world GDP growth of 2.6 percent in 2013 and 3.2 per cent in 2014 (January 2013). Top-line forecasts mask the unevenness in global economic activity, with world economic growth being largely driven by emerging economies like China and India, while most of the developed economies remain fragile (Tourism Forecasting Committee, September 2012). In summary, global recovery remains patchy, impacted predominantly by continued financial strains from the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and relatively slow recovery of the USA economy, both of which are dampening discretionary spending, including long haul travel. While the outlook for the global economy is weak, strength in emerging economies is expected to continue to drive global economic growth, if at a slower pace. This is being led by China. However, a deterioration in the situation in Europe or the USA would have spill-over effects on the growth performance of emerging market economies. Outlook for Australia s key international tourism source markets Subdued consumer confidence and uncertain economic performance are holding consumption down in many advanced economies including key source markets for Australia in Europe, particularly the UK. Globally, consumers continue to cut back on discretionary spending in favour of increased saving (Nielsen, November 2012). There are continuing concerns around the Euro zone sovereign debt crisis, particularly debt levels of the Greek, Italian and Spanish economies and their impact on the wider Eurozone. In the United States, there are encouraging signs that the short-term economic outlook has improved, evidenced by increased stability in the housing and job markets indicators of improved consumer and business confidence (Tourism Forecasting Committee, September 2012). However, the impact of the fiscal cliff 5 and associated tax increases and government spending cuts which came into effect on 31 December 2012, will likely dampen demand. New Zealand, Australia s highest volume source market is forecast to maintain steady economic growth over the period 2013 to 2016 (International Monetary Fund, October 2012). This positive outlook is being boosted to some extent by reconstruction activity following earthquakes in New Zealand in 2011, as well as strong terms of trade. Continued policy negotiations between the New Zealand and Australian governments on more domestic like border processes, could also boost trans-tasman travel. While economic growth and household spending is doing comparatively well in Australia s key Asian source markets Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam the weak global situation could slow economic growth and worsen the outlook for exports, particularly for China. The outlook for China is less buoyant than in recent years, reflecting the tepid growth prospects in major advanced economies and subsequent impact on export trade. Growth in China s GDP is projected to be 8.2 per cent in 2013, slightly up on 2012, as domestic demand growth and investment growth picks up as a result of policy easing under China s 12th Five-Year Plan 6 (International Monetary Fund, October 2012). 5 Fiscal cliff is a shorthand term used to describe the conundrum that the U.S. government faced at the end of 2012, when the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 went into effect. Changes introduced included - the end of temporary payroll tax cuts (resulting in a 2% tax increase for workers), the end of certain tax breaks for businesses, a rollback of the Bush tax cuts from , and the beginning of taxes related to President Obama s health care law. At the same time, the spending cuts agreed upon as part of the debt ceiling deal of 2011 ($1.2 trillion over ten years), were scheduled to go into effect. 10 Tourism Australia Corporate Plan

11 Flinders Ranges, South Australia Japan s economic outlook is moderate, with government stimulus plans boosting economic activity (International Monetary Fund, January 2013). Australia s Economic Outlook Despite a relatively weak global outlook, the fundamentals of the Australian economy remain solid and the outlook remains fairly positive. The Australian economy is forecast to expand by 3 percent in both and (Treasury, Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, November 2012). These forecasts represent downgrades from initial Commonwealth Budget estimates of 3.75 percent, following stronger than anticipated growth in and private sector announcements to defer or cancel some resources projects. The weaker international environment will increase pressures on some sectors, but overall the Australian economy is expected to remain in a strong position compared with other developed economies. It is anticipated that the mining sector will continue to be the primary driver of growth, generating jobs and significant opportunities across a range of sectors. The impact of rising world oil prices on international and domestic airfares are also a concern. While the resources sector is bolstering the Australian economy, there are other sectors, including tourism, that are under pressure due to continued global uncertainty, the high exchange rate and increased saving by consumers. However, it is estimated that these impacts will be relatively short-term and that the longer term outlook for tourism is positive (Tourism Forecasting Committee, September 2012). The Reserve Bank Board lowered official interest rates by 25 points to 3.0 percent in December 2012 (Reserve Bank, 4 December 2012). It is anticipated that this could relieve pressure on Australians discretionary consumer spending on items such as travel and tourism. Tourism demand Demand for travel to and within Australia is forecast to increase steadily over the period , with compound annual growth of 3.5 percent in international visitors to Australia and 1.3 percent in domestic trips by Australians. These forecasts assume modest economic performance (Tourism Forecasting Committee, September 2012). From 2000 to 2012 Asia grew from 39 percent of total international spend to 48 percent (Tourism Research Australia, September 2012). In the period , spend from Asian markets is forecast to increase further to 52 percent of total spend (Tourism Forecasting Committee, September 2012). Analysis undertaken for the 2020 Tourism Industry Potential strategy work shows that these are conservative estimates. To achieve objectives for Tourism 2020, Tourism Australia has set targets for each of its priority markets to exceed Tourism Forecasting Committee forecast levels. While growth in demand from Chinese consumers will be integral to achieving Tourism 2020 objectives, a slowing in the growth of China is likely. This will be irrespective of the economic growth in China, which underpins the outbound travel opportunity from this market. As the base of visitors from China and their expenditure to Australia increases, the percentage growth will become smaller, while the absolute contribution to growth with continue. Tourism Australia recognises the importance of setting expectations around the evolution of China s maturity as a market. Opportunities also exist to improve dispersal of visitors from China. The prospects for Australia s domestic tourism demand have greatly improved, with domestic visitor nights growing by 4 percent at 31 December 2012 (282 million domestic visitor nights) (Tourism Research Australia). It is anticipated that this momentum will continue, with growth projected to increase by 2.1 percent in (290 million visitor nights), and 1.4 percent in (294 million visitor nights) (Tourism Forecasting Committee, September 2012). This increase is being driven by growth in travel to visit friends and relatives and some shift away from outbound travel. 6 China s Twelth Five-Year Plan was launched in July The plan sets out to shift emphasis from investment towards consumption and development from urban and coastal areas toward rural and inland areas. It continues to advocate objectives set out in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan - to enhance environmental protection, accelerate the opening up of the economy and associated reform, and emphasizes Hong Kong s role as a centre of international finance. Tourism Australia Corporate Plan 11

12 Australia s tourism market share The United Nations World Tourism Organisation anticipates sound growth in 2013, with estimated global arrivals up 4 percent to billion (from billion in 2012). International arrivals in emerging economy destinations are expected to continue to out-perform advanced destinations. At year ending December 2012, international arrivals to Australia grew by 4.6 percent, with 6.1 million visitors (Australian Bureau of Statistics). Market share is a key driver to achieve the Tourism 2020 goal of A$115 billion to A$140 billion in overnight expenditure. In 2011/2012, Australia grew share in one market (China), and lost share in its other key markets. Australia s key competitors vary by market. Competitors are determined by the market s leading long haul destinations including South Africa, USA, New Zealand and Canada as these countries are highly competitive with the Australian brand. Australia s robust economic performance has driven the strength of the Australian dollar. Since October 2010, the Australian dollar has been fluctuating near or above parity with the US dollar and has been performing strongly against currencies of most of Australia s key source markets. The strong Australian dollar has some impact on attracting international visitors as it reduces visitor spending power when they are in Australia. However, it is just one factor in the travel decision process. In research undertaken by Access Economics in 2011, it was found that the impact of exchange rates is relatively modest and short-term. Over the long-term, income growth has the greatest influence on demand for international and domestic travel. Over the period , Australian tourism faces a progressively more competitive marketing environment, with increased marketing by competitor destinations, changing distribution channels, and broadening media options such as online, blogs, multiple digital and cable TV channels. Destination Appeal Australia is regularly rated as one of the most desired tourism destinations in the world the place the world dreams of visiting (FutureBrand, 2010), but less than 1 percent of the world s international tourists actually visit. This fascination with Australia is evidenced by the popularity of the Tourism Australia Facebook page ( which recorded four million worldwide fans in January 2013, making it both the largest Facebook page located in Australia and the most popular tourism destination page in the world. In 2012, Australia was ranked 9th overall in the Anholt Nations Brand Index 7 (down from 8th in 2011) and 6th overall in the FutureBrand 8 study of country brands, down from 5th position in Within Anholt s Tourism Index, Australia continues to rank number 1 for appeal of its natural beauty, and as a place people would like to visit if money was no object. Australia ranked 7th overall in its Tourism Index 9 (down from 6th in 2011). Australia s People Index 10 is clearly the trump card, ranking second only to Canada 11. On the whole, Australia s results in the Nations Brand Index continue to be solid, testament to its overall strong appeal. Notably, Australia s image continues to improve among key Asia-Pacific markets including South Korea, India and China (Anholt, 2012). The findings of the Anholt Index, were mirrored in dedicated consumer research undertaken by Tourism Australia in mid In this study, Tourism Australia sought insight into how consumers view Australia and the factors most likely to motivate them to visit. Australia s greatest drawcards were found to be its world class beauty, safe environment and welcoming people. However, a continuing challenge for Tourism Australia is to convert this strong interest into a decision to actually visit as the barriers of distance, time and cost remain an issue for the majority of Australia s overseas visitors. Domestically, it is anticipated that appeal for an Australian holiday will improve compared to the past decade when Australians perceived that holidays-at-home held less status and value than overseas holidays. However, increased competition from low cost off-shore destinations and other consumer categories, a strong Australian dollar and growing international air capacity from low cost carriers in the Asia Pacific region remain factors impacting domestic tourism. 7 The Anholt GfK Roper Nations Index measures the image of 50 nations. It involves interviews with around 20,000 adults aged 18 and over in 20 core panel countries. 8 The Futurebrand study ranks global perceptions of the world s nations through quantitiative research. 3,600 opinion formers and frequent international travellers across 18 countries are surveyed; as well as in-depth interviews with a global expert panel. 9 The Tourism Dimension is made up of four questions: i. Would like to visit the country if money were no object; ii. The country is rich in natural beauty; iii The country is rich in historical buildings and monuments; iv. The country has a vibrant city life and urban attractions. 10 The People Dimension is made up of three questions: i. If I visited the country, the people would make me feel welcome; ii. I would like to have a person from the country as a close friend; iii. A well qualified person from the country would be a valuable employee. 11 Countries in Australia s competitive set are United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Germany. 12 Research was undertaken for Tourism Australia by BDA Marketing Planning in mid It involved survey of consumers across 11 of Australia s most important inbound markets China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, UK and USA. 13,389 consumers participated, selected on the basis of their previous long-haul travel behaviour and/or intention to travel long-haul in the next few years. 12 Tourism Australia Corporate Plan

13 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Victoria Over the period , the average annual growth rate of outbound holiday departures by Australians is forecast to increase by only 3.7 percent (Tourism Forecasting Committee, Forecast 2012, Issue 2), a considerable decrease compared to recent years when outbound was growing between percent per annum. Timely marketing of domestic holidays to Australians by Tourism Australia and State and Territory Tourism Organisations, and the impact of the current uncertain global economic climate, could be impacting upon consumer preference to holiday at home rather than overseas (Tourism Forecasting Committee, Forecast 2012, Issue 2). Aviation Outlook Air access will play a fundamental role in the achievement of Tourism 2020 objectives. During , aviation is expected to remain a positive factor for Australian tourism. While the outlook for global aviation is for moderate capacity growth, demand will likely strengthen, particularly from Asian markets. Alliances, code shares and consolidation will continue to evolve both in Australia and overseas. The Qantas-Emirates partnership was the first of a number of game changing partnerships that were announced in late Another significant venture for Australian aviation was Virgin Australia s announcement of strategic partnerships with Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Air New Zealand. These new arrangements are expected to improve point-to-point booking processes for consumers as international airlines tap into the domestic routes of partners. Increased mergers, code-sharing arrangements and strategic alliances may also help to improve profitability through better synergies, cost efficiencies and economies of scale. These alliances should be good news for regional Australia. In the 2012 calendar year, there was significant growth of direct non-stop services from key international markets to regional Australian airports. This included new services to: Adelaide (new Emirates Dubai service), Cairns (new China Eastern Shanghai service), Gold Coast (new Scoot Singapore service), Darwin (new SilkAir Singapore service) and the Sunshine Coast (new Air New Zealand Auckland service). Over the period , carriers within the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Latin America regions are likely to continue to drive global aviation growth, with Australia the likely beneficiary of strong capacity increases from China (including from secondary cities such as Chengdu), Malaysia and Singapore. European and North American carriers are predicted to remain cautious and to continue to consolidate. Growth is also likely from continued expansion of Low Cost Carriers. Trans Tasman travel is anticipated to be further simplified over the period making travel more seamless from New Zealand, potentially reducing costs and opening up new routes. Global air liberalisation is expected to continue, with Australia pursuing increased capacity on routes and more open skies style agreements with countries such as China. Domestic aviation capacity growth is anticipated to be largely driven by increased competition between Virgin Australia and the Qantas Group and the re-entry of Tiger Airways Australia (with the possible acquisition of 60 per cent of Tiger Airways Australia by Virgin Australia which is currently under Australian Competition and Consumer Commission review). Australian carriers will also continue to pursue alliances and cross border joint ventures with foreign carriers which will increase the number of international tourists accessing and flying on domestic services within Australia. Tourism Australia Corporate Plan 13

14 Investment Outlook In April 2012, Tourism Australia, the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and Austrade announced their partnership to attract investment in the Australian tourism industry. The emphasis of this partnership is to encourage investment and regulatory reform, reducing barriers and promoting investment in the products and infrastructure that consumers are seeking. Two sectors have been identified as offering significant opportunities for investors, these are short-term accommodation 13 and leisure attractions and experiences 14. As the partnership moves into its second year, the focus of activity will shift from awareness raising to providing investors with more targeted information to better inform the commercial decision-making process. This will involve the provision of more detailed information about the costs of Australian tourism investment by asset class, average development approval timeframes, average labour costs and potential investment partners across relevant points of the supply chain. Over the period , it is anticipated that the investment environment for Australian tourism will strengthen. Over 2012, occupancy rates were close to the strongest on record in Australia s four largest cities at 80% or above in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. This healthy accommodation environment, linked with an improved economic outlook has prompted announcement of a number of major hotel developments in capital cities during the first quarter of This suggests that developers are again seeing value in the hotel accommodation market in Australia (Deloitte Access Economics, 2013). Australia s tourism products and experiences Compelling tourism experiences are key ingredients in motivating people to travel. The longer term outlook to 2020 reveals that expenditure from international visitors is projected to increase from 35 percent to 45 percent of total overnight tourism expenditure. This has implications for the development of Australia s tourism products and experiences. Australia has a wealth of assets that differentiate if from other destinations around the world, including unique landscapes and nature-based tourism offerings; Indigenous culture and heritage; sophisticated cities and regions; and friendly, tolerant culturally diverse people. To continue to grow and be successful will require improved quality, product choice, skills and infrastructure that will maximise and sustain Australia s advantages as a tourism destination. Tourism Australia will continue to participate in Tourism 2020 work groups and support industry and government initiatives to ensure Australia keeps pace with global competition, including investment in the sector. In 2012, Tourism Australia undertook dedicated research into how consumers view Australia and the factors most likely to motivate them to visit. The scale and depth of the research was unprecedented, providing unique insights into consumer demand in 11 of Australia s most important markets 15. The insights from this research have been shared with government and industry, and will help to shape the future marketing of Australia. By better understanding what motivates consumers in our key target markets, we re clearly in a much better position to craft our message to convert awareness of our country into visits. It also gives Australian tourism operators valuable insights into how to adapt and develop their business to best attract new visitors. Andrew McEvoy, Managing Director, Tourism Australia 13 Accommodation hotels, motels, luxury lodges, resorts, holiday park cabins, budget accommodation, backpacker hostels, bed and breakfast, serviced apartments, mixed-use developments, nature-based accommodation 14 Tours, theme parks, aquariums, zoos, visitor centres, museums, theatres, wineries, golf courses, nature-based attractions 15 Markets included in the research China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, UK and USA 14 Tourism Australia Corporate Plan

15 Western Australia Tourism Australia Corporate Plan 15

16 Achieving our objectives Summary of Strategies Customer focused > > Know the target customer - who they are, where they live, what they like to do > > Deliver effective marketing communications the right message in the right channel with a digital focus > > Build partnerships that engage customers across distribution, media, industry, events Development focused > > Use customer understanding to inform investment and quality to strengthen demand for tourism experiences > > Build aviation partnerships that help to grow sustainable and competitive capacity Government focused > > Collaborate with government partners to present a strong Brand Australia to the target customer > > Partner with federal and state governments to influence and promote investment opportunities in Australia People, organisation, accountability > > Recruit, develop, promote and reward the right people to support Tourism Australia s strategy and processes > > Build an organisation with a constructive culture, the right structure and effective communication and decision-making channels > > Respect and enforce high standards of accountability and governance Customer focused Tourism Australia s key driver Know the customer Tourism Australia will target global consumers that are predisposed to Australia who will spend more and do more when they visit. The demographics and psychographics of these consumers may vary in different markets. From a business events perspective, Tourism Australia will target international corporate conference and incentive agents, corporate decision makers and Australian and international associations. Tourism Australia will undertake research to understand the target customer and the products and experiences that they want. Consumer research launched in 2012 into how consumers view Australia and the factors most likely to motivate them to visit Australia will be the foundation for this work. Insights from this research will be used to drive targeted marketing communications as well as to inform industry development. These insights will be shared with government and industry. A key finding from the research was the opportunity that Australia s food and wine provides to differentiate Australia amongst competitors. Connecting food and wine tourism experiences with inspirational Australian tourism experiences could provide a unique point of difference compared with other destinations. This insight will be harnessed in and beyond, as a key element in Tourism Australia s marketing communications and There s nothing like Australia campaign activity. World class nature, coastal, aquatic and wildlife experiences also ranked well and will continue to be core components within marketing communications. The focus of Tourism Australia s global marketing resources will be on those markets that represent the greatest expenditure growth potential to Global market resourcing categories Category 1: Worth over A$5 billion by 2020 Greater China (inc Hong Kong), North America (inc Canada), UK, Australia Category 2: Worth over A$2.5 billion by 2020 New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia Category 3: Worth over A$1 billion by 2020 India, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, Middle East Category 4: Rest of World Fast Emerging: Brazil, Vietnam High Priority: France, Italy, All other markets The only change in market categorisation compared to the Tourism Australia Corporate Plan has been the movement of Japan from a Category 2 market to a Category 3 market. Revised forecasts for 2020 have reduced the potential of Japan. Tourism Australia will spend 75 percent of its global marketing budget on making an impact in its Category 1 and Category 2 markets in Tourism Australia s role in international markets is to work with partners to promote a compelling tourism destination brand and encourage more people to visit Australia, growing spend and numbers of long haul visitors. Tourism 16 Tourism Australia Corporate Plan

17 Australia s role in the domestic market is to add value through content creation to an already cluttered travel and tourism message. This includes raising awareness about the need for Australians to take their leave by taking a domestic holiday. This program is called No Leave No Life. Deliver effective marketing communications Tourism Australia s marketing communications will be carried out under the umbrella of its global There s nothing like Australia campaign. The second phase of the campaign was launched in 2012, focusing on quality by highlighting examples of some of Australia s most outstanding experiences. It shows new news, challenging stereotypical views of Australia. Insights on the global consumer will be used to drive delivery of the right messaging in the right channels with a focus on digital and social media networks. Marketing communications will aim to raise the urgency to visit, increase knowledge and build a strong image of what Australia has to offer the potential traveller. Marketing approaches and channels will include brand advertising, cooperative advertising with partners, content partnerships, affinity partnerships, Australia.com, search engine optimisation, digital programs, public relations, famils, promotions, events, and programs that promote positive word of mouth. Digital will be a key channel. Tourism Australia will continue to strengthen its digital expertise, its digital content and channel usage. This will be achieved through the optimisation of Australia.com; content syndication and integration with trade partners, industry groups, media owners and social networks such as Facebook; user assisted and user generated content programs; and mobile and video based platforms and channels. Significant emphasis will be given to marketing tools and approaches for China and the rest of Asia to ensure information on Australia is easily accessible by prospective customers in these key markets. Build partnerships to engage customers Tourism Australia is a partnership marketing organisation that actively collaborates with government and industry to create demand for Australia. Leveraging through partnerships will heighten share of voice and strengthen marketing weight. Partnerships and relationships with both traditional and non-traditional distributors will be used to ensure the target customer can easily access quality Australian tourism products. Tourism Australia will collaborate with industry and State and Territory Tourism Organisations to develop best practice distribution vehicles and platforms (including missions, famils, Aussie Specialist Program activities, the Australian Tourism Exchange). This will involve enhanced national co-ordination of distribution activities, including: > > Development of a full plan of trade activities for each market, centred on the promotion of Australia. This plan will be developed in partnership by Tourism Australia and State and Territory Tourism Organsations and industry. > > Collecting and building evidence of the shared benefits of a unified, one voice, approach when going to market. > > Extending the global partnership marketing model with airlines to include global industry organisations. > > Clearly defining roles and responsibilities between Tourism Australia and State and Territory Tourism Organisations, especially in international markets. Development focused Facilitate industry development Tourism Australia will continue to partner with industry and government to promote quality through T-QUAL Accreditation; improve demand for Indigenous tourism experiences; promote Australia s distinctive National Landscapes with Parks Australia; deliver an annual Tourism Directions Conference in Canberra in partnership with the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and industry; and deliver trade event and Aussie Specialist programs. Attract investment Tourism Australia will use its understanding of the consumer and its global network to influence and promote investment opportunities in new tourism infrastructure in Australia, particularly new capital city hotel rooms and improvements to products and services in regional areas. This will be undertaken in partnership with Australian and State and Territory governments and stakeholders, particularly the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and Austrade. Activity will include hosting Investment Forums in key markets overseas as well as in Australia to discuss and promote the opportunities to invest in Australia and a famil program for hot prospect investors to showcase Australian investment opportunities. Tourism Research Australia s Investment Monitor will be used to track progress. Tourism Australia Corporate Plan 17

18 Activate access To achieve Tourism 2020, Australia s international aviation capacity will need to grow by percent and domestic aviation capacity will need to grow by percent by To achieve these levels of growth, Tourism Australia will play a targeted strategic role in the aviation arena, using partnerships to help grow demand for sustainable and competitive aviation capacity to and through Australia. This will be achieved through cooperative marketing and marketing support for new airline routes and/or growth in high priority markets. Tourism Australia will also ensure Australia remains competitive in visa issuance by developing relationships, partnerships and initiatives that enable Australia to keep pace with the growth and changes in consumer demand for Australia. This will involve continuing to work closely with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism as part of the Tourism Visa Advisory Group. Showcase the best of Australia As with the There s nothing like Australia campaign, Tourism Australia s Best of Australia program seeks to lead with Australia s finest, bringing together some of the best examples Australia s tourism industry has to offer the world within distinct tourism categories. By bundling together these experiences, Tourism Australia will create compelling marketing propositions, which will achieve greater cut through in the competitive global marketplace. Each group will be Industry led - following the model developed by Luxury Lodges of Australia. Achievements to date include Great Golf Courses of Australia and Great Walks of Australia. The model relies upon all stakeholders - Tourism Australia, its State and Territory tourism partners and individual operators. The aim of this combined approach to the funding and resourcing of the program, is that each group will be sustainable and able to move forward under its own stewardship. From , the Best of Australia program will integrate the Indigenous Tourism Champions Program and the National Landscapes Program, showcasing the best of Indigenous and nature-based experiences. Cradle Mountain Huts Walk, Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania 18 Tourism Australia Corporate Plan