Date:23/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/01/23/stories/2008012352351500.htm

Back Australia seeks to cash in on surge in Indian tourists

Tourist attraction: A file picture of bleached coral seen at the Keppel Islands on the southern Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.

Shubhra Tandon

Mumbai, Jan. 22 Witnessing a surge in inbound tourism from India, Tourism Queensland would now be partnering with some Indian online travel portals, airline Web sites and others in the travel industry to start a gateway site to the Australian destination.

The organisation plans to commence the venture by June this year.

According to Mr Paul Baggy, Regional Director (Korea, India, Middle East and South Africa) for Tourism Queensland , the Australian tourism board, along with regional tourism organisations, is looking to cash in on the shift in the profile of Indian tourists coming to the continent. “The number of tourists coming from India for their holidays is outnumbering those coming to visit relatives and friends,” Mr Baggy told Business Line.

As per the data available from Tourism Australia till October 2007, the region has seen a growth of 10 per cent in the number of Indian visitors. Also, the break up of the statistics available till 2006 (the 2007 data is still being calculated) suggests that while 22,881 Indians visited Australia for holidays, 17,654 visited friends and relatives, 16,170 were on business tours, 7,902 were there for education and 6,614 for employment.

Interestingly, the tourism organisations also see an increase in the length of stay and expenditure by Indians in Australia.

Quoting from the Tourism Research Australia International visitor survey, Mr Baggy said, “In the year ended September 2007 Indian visitors to Queensland spent $32 million (including package expenditure). This was an increase of 14 per cent from the same period last year.”

The average length of stay for Indians in Queensland was 17.5 nights in 2007, this was an increase of 2.6 nights over September 2006, he added.

Ms Sharon Harvey, Director of India for Gold Coast Tourism Corporation Ltd, said that the length of stay by Indians in Gold Coast was 9.1 nights in September 2007. “We are seeing a lot of interest in Indians coming to Australia to visit the Gold Coast. Our apartments with two, three and even four bedrooms are preferred over hotels as they turn out to be lot cheaper and can accommodate Indian joint families too.”

Tourism Queensland will also unveil its new campaign called ‘Family, Fun, Queensland’ for the coming season.