TA PLOTS BUSINESS EVENTS REVAMP

TOURISM Australia (TA) is taking the breathing space afforded by the COVID-19 downturn to look at a possible revamp of its marketing of business events.

Speaking at the first of a series of weekly industry webinars being convened through the coronavirus crisis last week, Tourism Australia MD, Phillipa Harrison (pictured), said “like all other sectors, business events has been hit really hard”.

However, “the great thing about business events are that they are planned very long term, so we are actually seeing requests for the bid fund coming through at the moment for subsequent years.

“So while all activity is paused right at the moment, a lot of it is being postponed, rather than cancelled, which is great, so that speaks to future demand”.

Harrison said the hiatus gave the opportunity to “have a look at what the business events world looks like, and to really revamp our marketing and the way we speak to global customers”.

On the wider issue of tourism and travel in the post-COVID-19 world, Harrison said the key objective is to make sure that Australia is top of mind.

“Once the panic is over, and people get settled in their new situation of isolation and social distancing, we believe there will be an opportunity to keep the conversation going, reaching out an Aussie hand of friendship.

“It’s possible we may even give our future visitors the opportunity to dream,” she said.

The Tourism Australia MD said other key issues relate to aviation, and ensuring that, as flight networks start up again, Australia is one of the key destinations included in the plans of resurgent carriers.

She said TA was already working on packages together with airports and the various States and Territories “to make sure airlines come back to Australia as a first priority”.

Harrison also confirmed that Tourism Australia would continue its nascent domestic marketing push, initiated after the Jan bushfires, for the time being.

“Our Holiday Here This Year message really resonated, so we plan to go back into the market and scale that up.

“Then we will go back out internationally when it’s appropriate, with Still Nothing Like Australia,” she said.

On the distribution side, Harrison noted that interestingly during the downturn TA had already seen a strong interest in its training programs, with record numbers of participants in the Aussie Specialist travel agent program.