QUEENSLAND STRATEGY TO INCREASE JAPANESE TOURIST NUMBERS

The Queensland Government has increased marketing activities into Japan to combat a decline in tourist numbers because of the strong Australian dollar.

Minister for Tourism, Margaret Keech, said the downside of a strong Australian dollar is that exports – and tourism is Queensland’s second biggest export – all become more expensive for international customers.

Mrs Keech told an Estimates Committee hearing this morning that Queensland’s popularity as a tourist destination for Japanese tourists is being hampered by competition from other countries with more favourable currency exchange rates.

She said the reduction can be attributed to a number of factors, including:

·a 45% increase over the past 3 years in the Australian foreign exchange, making it more expensive for Japanese to holiday in Australia;

·increased Japanese visitation within Asia, particularly to China;

·lack of new airline capacity and the withdrawal of Japan Airlines from the Osaka route; and

·an upward trend of travel costs due to fuel surcharges.

“This trend was confirmed with the March 2007 International Visitor Survey, which showed that Japanese visitation to Queensland declined by 9%,” Mrs Keech said.

“The Beattie Government, through Tourism Queensland, continues to work closely with industry throughout Queensland to sustain and enhance the Japanese market.

“While Japan is an important tourism market, it is only one of several of direct importance to Queensland.

“We are tapping into new tourist markets in Asia and the Middle East, and have recently seen increasing numbers of visitors to Queensland from developing markets in China, Korea, India and the Middle East.

“Queensland has also attracted new tourism-based airline services into Queensland, from overseas and interstate.

“Recently, new services have been announced with Etihad, China Eastern Airways and Tiger.

“Tourism Queensland is currently developing a Japan Action Plan to rebuild the Japanese inbound market.

“The plan will contain specific marketing strategies to maintain and strengthen Cairns’ position as the leading leisure destination for Japanese visitors to Australia and re-establish the Gold Coast as a primary Australian destination for Japanese travellers.”

“We have also established formal marketing agreements between Tourism Queensland, Jetstar, Gold Coast Tourism and Tourism Tropical North Queensland to support Jetstar flights from Nagoya and Osaka-Cairns and Osaka-Brisbane.

Other marketing and development strategies are in place to attract the Japanese market to Queensland, and specifically the key destinations of Cairns and the Gold Coast, including:

·working closely with key organisations, including Tourism Australia on a new multi-million dollar Japan promotional campaign to be launched soon; and

·establishing a second Tourism Queensland office in Japan, at Osaka.

Mrs Keech said the Japanese market continues to be one of Queensland’s most important sources of visitors.

“Although we have seen a softening in the number of visitors from Japan, this has been less than the decline showcased by other key international destinations such as Hawaii,” she said.

“Tourism Queensland will continue to target the Japanese market to ensure that visitors from the country are aware of the unique holiday experiences that Queensland has to offer, and to continue to attract visitors from the region.”

Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3225 1005