SHIFTING AUSTRALIA FROM “SOMEDAY” TO “TODAY”

The use of new technologies to build one on one relationships with the global marketplace was rapidly becoming the performance benchmark for successful tourism marketing, Australian Tourist Commission Deputy Managing Director Bill Calderwood said today.

“This challenge is particularly true for Australia,” he said. “If we maximise the potential of technology to build a closer relationship with our customers then we have a better chance than ever of driving a global mindshift about holidaying in Australia from ‘someday’ to ‘today’.

“The new web based technologies offer us the opportunity to dramatically increase our level of customer service; to develop not only more personal relationships with a world-wide consumer base, but to build more efficient and effective relationships with the travel trade.”

Speaking at the ATC’s Australian Tourism Exchange in Sydney, Mr Calderwood said technology would be the most important tool in the ATC’s efforts to convert Australia’s long-held popularity into actual travel.

“Thanks to the coverage of the Sydney Olympic Games Australia’s profile is at an all time high,” he said. “Technology will be our most powerful tool in the stuggle for coversion. No development in the last thirty years has been as significant for the tourism industry. It is integral to all of the ATC’s planning, our short, medium and long term strategies and the way we go about our daily business.

“The importance we place on utilising these tools can be seen in the recent changes to the way we are running our trade shows, the National Tourism Data Warehouse project, and our increased emphasis on pro-active direct marketing.

“We believe we can use new technologies to vastly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our relationship with the world’s travel trade, and, of course, the consumer.

“For example, our online consumers Travel Club in the United States now has 42,000 members and our newly developed web site for US travel agents is attracting on average around 1000 users a month.

“Through web technologies and working with the trade we can develop detailed, accurate profiles of our potential customers, tailor information to suit their needs, target them with product that matches their desires and dramatically increase our chances of conversion.

“The convergence of these new technologies and new media, at the time the global tourism market is becoming even more segmented, and Australia is identifying new market segments to target, is an opportunity for us all.