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Australian Geographic

Tourism Australia launches new international campaign

There's nothing like Australia: campaign update

Following last week's announcement of Tourism Australia's new campaign There's nothing like Australia there have been over 15,000 unique visits to the competition site www.nothinglikeaustralia.com. View full story

Tourism Australia has launched its latest international marketing campaign and it is certainly a change from "Where the bloody hell are you?"
But will the inoffensive "There's nothing like Australia" draw in the international visitors?
Tourism bosses are calling on the public to promote Australia through social networking.
The idea is that Australians share their favourite place or experience because they are the experts on what makes the country unique.
The campaign starts with a competition from next month calling on Australians to upload photos to a new website, and complete the line: "there's nothing like ..."
Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson launched the new tagline at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.
"When you think about it, it is not about the Australian Government in partnership with Tourism Australia and state and territory organisations, nor with the private sector picking winners," he said.
"It is about us as a nation giving the Australian community an opportunity to actually promote their local regions."
Tourism Australia's Andrew McEvoy says the new slogan has a strong impact.
"Say it to yourself. I think it is one of those lines that is true," he said.
"It is a big idea and it will build over time. There's nothing like Australia."
Room for more visitors
Tourism Australia says Australia bucked the international trend during the global financial crisis and there is optimism that growth will continue.
Tourism Australia's general manager of marketing, Nick Baker, says the number of tourists coming to Australia is solid.
"This year, for 2009 over 2008, we were flat and the rest of the world was at least a minus four figure, so we think that we are already moving into an area where we have some potential for growth," he said.
"We haven't actually got some figures to say what we think it is going to move up to but certainly we are looking to see growth on the 2009 figures, which was 5.6 million people.
"It depends a lot on what happens with the global economy and how it is working, but certainly we are seeing an opportunity for us to move forward and to get growth during the course of 2010."
But Mr Baker says it takes more than just one ad to entice visitors.
"There is no doubt that you need ads to get the message out there. There is no doubt that you need something to get the emotional reason for visiting Australia," he said.
"But what we are doing with this campaign is adding a whole lot more layers to it.
"So rather than being a TV-centric campaign, this is an idea-centric campaign, and by that I mean we have got this idea about Australians inviting the rest of the world to come to this country and showcasing what they think is unique about it."
Test of time
Mr Ferguson says the most important thing about the new campaign is that it will last.
"Ministers and governments come and go but you have got to have a strategy that survives irrespective of a change in government or irrespective of a change in minister, and that is what today is about," he said.
"It is about us picking up and running with it and not picking winners. We as a community will sell Australia for what it is - a unique, wonderful place.
"[We will tell the world to] actually come on down and have a look at it."
The managing director of the Australian Tourism Export Council, Matt Hingerty, has been involved in tourism for about a decade and this is his fifth campaign launch.
He says the problem with previous campaigns was not that they caused offence but more they could not last the distance of time.
"I'm not in the camp that says that they were necessarily failures," he said.
"In polite diplomatic circles, "Where the bloody hell are you?" may have not gone down that well but the Irish backpackers loved it. It was actually a financial success.

"But the problem is we don't stick to them."

Awake to the dreaming

Australians are at last taking an interest in indigenous history and culture, writes Jane E. Fraser.

Once considered the domain of international visitors, indigenous tourism is finally capturing the imagination of Australian travellers.

Tourism bodies are reporting a surge in interest by Australians in indigenous tourism experiences, ranging from art galleries and rock art sites to visiting remote communities and taking part in Aboriginal festivals.

The interest is being attributed to growing awareness of reconciliation issues, travellers looking for more meaningful encounters and parents wanting to teach their children about indigenous culture.

And while there is some debate about how successful the Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman film Australia has been in promoting international tourism to Australia, there is evidence it has whet the appetites of Australians.

Aden Ridgeway, chairman of Indigenous Tourism Australia, told the recent Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference in Townsville the movie had generated significant interest in indigenous tourism.

Preliminary research showed the percentage of Australians interested in having an "indigenous experience" jumped from 40 per cent prior to the release of the movie to 60 per cent after the film's release (although Ridgeway says the long term impact is yet to be determined).

This is backed up by figures from the Northern Territory's tourism body, Tourism NT, showing nearly 40 per cent of Australian visitors to its website are seeking information on Aboriginal tours or experiences. Tourism NT chief executive Maree Tetlow says research undertaken by Tourism NT shows most Australians feel they should know more about indigenous culture.

"They said it is important to experience indigenous culture for reconciliation, with many parents commenting that it is important for children to be knowledgeable about Australia's indigenous culture," says Tetlow.

"Tourism NT has noticed increasing demand for indigenous tourism experiences among Australian travellers.

"In order to meet this, we are working with over 80 indigenous tourism operators who offer a range of experiences to visitors, from basic bush camping to Aboriginal arts and cultural centres."

Tourism NT is developing three "indigenous tourism hubs", in East Arnhem Land, Alice Springs and Darwin, to give indigenous communities access to professional services that can help them develop tourism operations.

This sits alongside the efforts of Indigenous Tourism Australia, which was created in 2005 to help indigenous communities access training, funding and business resources to create sustainable tourism businesses.

Ridgeway says there are now more than 300 indigenous tourism operators in Australia, offering insights into both traditional and contemporary cultures.

In an indication of the sector's growth, about 80 operators are being added to the National Indigenous Tourism Product Manual, which features quality, "market-ready" operations.

Many private companies are also playing a role in the development of indigenous tourism, through partnerships, indigenous employment programs and charitable foundations.

Voyages Hotels & Resorts has been a key player, funding the development of the now successful Anangu Tours at Uluru and running a popular Aboriginal artist-in-residence program at Ayers Rock Resort.

A Voyages charitable foundation that collects donations from resort guests has helped improve health and education outcomes for the Mutitjulu community and the company has also sponsored the Red Dust Role Models program, which brings leading athletes to Aboriginal communities.

Voyages also provides work experience opportunities to Aboriginal students, which has the dual benefit of giving the students a taste of working life while giving resort staff a chance to learn more about indigenous cultures.

Tour operator APT Kimberley Wilderness Adventures is also working in partnership with Aboriginal communities, under an agreement that provides exclusive indigenous tourism experiences for its passengers while creating training and employment opportunities for Aborigines in the Kimberley region.

The Wunan Foundation, which represents indigenous communities in the East Kimberley, says the partnership has been a great way for indigenous people to get involved with the tourism industry, as guides and at wilderness camps and lodges.

Another successful indigenous tourism project has been Kooljaman at Cape Leveque in northern Western Australia.

Kooljaman is an Aboriginal-owned wilderness camp, currently run by non-Aboriginal managers but working towards being wholly Aboriginal-operated.

Many other communities have successfully opened up to tourism, allowing visitors to spend time in a community and learn about traditional practices.

One such community is Manyallaluk, near Katherine in the Northern Territory, which receives thousands of visitors each year.

Members of the alcohol-free community instruct visitors in basket weaving, traditional painting and spear throwing, while elders lead bush tucker walks and local artists exhibit and sell their paintings.

The experience is ideal for families and popular with Australians and foreigners alike.

For a directory of indigenous tourism experiences, see www.indigenoustourism.australia.com.

STRAIT TALK

The term indigenous tourism tends to conjure images of Aboriginal rock art and outback adventures but the Torres Strait should not be forgotten.

The Torres Strait islands, off the far northern tip of Queensland, face many challenges in attracting tourists, not least the time and expense of travelling there. For those willing to make the journey, either by plane or by four-wheel-drive up Cape York, unique experiences await.

The Torres Strait islands are strongly influenced by neighbouring Papua New Guinea, creating a fusion of Melanesian and Australian Aboriginal cultures, and isolation has protected many traditions.

The Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Thursday Island has won several tourism awards, while tourism developments such as the Poruma Island Resort give visitors a chance to mix with locals.

For more information on the Torres Strait, see www.tsra.gov.au or search "Tropical North Queensland" at queenslandholidays.com.au.

Source: The Sun-Herald