Tourism Australia says it is up for the fight to restore confidence in travel and will step up marketing efforts in Southeast Asia to counter the disruption caused by conflict in the Middle East.
The NTO’s research indicates that 16% of travellers are delaying or reconsidering plans to travel to Australia with the greatest concern felt by the large number of airline passengers from Europe and the UK who connect to Australia through airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha.
In March, 50% of UK/Europe point of sale airline bookings to Australia were routed through the Middle East.
“That’s the region where we get our inbound travellers from. And now they are the travellers most impacted by airline routing changes in the Middle East,” said Rob Dougan, Tourism Australia’s executive general manager of strategy and culture.
Related: Middle East conflict disrupts Qantas' ultra long-haul flight
Travel intent still high in China, Singapore
The good news for Australia is that the Tourism Australia markets where travel intent is still high are led by China, Singapore, Hong Kong and India.
Tourism Australia managing director Robin Mack said travellers in Asia are booking closer to home. “This often happens in these [crisis] situations, particularly in Southeast Asia.”
/image-260331-5/Cocos-Keeling-Islands-Visitor-Centre-off-the-coast.png?tr=w-600%2Ch-340%2Cfo-auto "Cocos Keeling Islands Visitor Centre off the coast of Western Australia.")
Cocos Keeling Islands Visitor Centre off the coast of Western Australia. Photo Credit: Facebook/Australia.com
This was “a great opportunity,” Mack said, for Australia to attract ASEAN travellers who don’t want to stray too far from home base.
Mack said that Tourism Australia would increase marketing activity in Southeast Asia and China, boost business events in key markets, maintain brand campaigns in UK-Europe, and continue the "come and say g'day" messaging, “which remains in the top 1% of competitor ads globally”.
Kangaroo Route changes
Access to Australia is being helped by airlines who are launching new routes, or reviving old routes, to ferry passengers between Australia and UK/Europe via South-east Asia, avoiding the Middle East.
British Airways has introduced extra services each week to Bangkok and Singapore. Lufthansa and Air France KLM have also added extra flights to Asia.
Meanwhile, Qantas has shifted strategy on the Kangaroo Route to London, boosting its Perth-Singapore route to 10 flights weekly to better connect with its European network, and moving its non-stop Perth-Rome route to Sydney, with a short Singapore stopover.
Singapore Airlines is also active in the Australia market, launching flights from the new Western Sydney International in November, while a Jetstar service between Newcastle in New South Wales and Singapore has taken off for the first time.
“Australia is still perceived as a safe and desirable destination and we’re seeing strong search activity and new business enquiries,” Mack concluded.