Continuing to turn regional Australia into tourism gold

Luring more tourists to regional Australia by showcasing its wonder, beauty and the unique experiences on offers needs to be a continued focus of Australia’s tourism industry, according to a new report released today.

Commissioned by Tourism Research Australia, The Beach, Bush and Beyond: Understanding Regional Dispersal of Australian Tourists report, highlights the importance of continuing to attract more visitors to areas outside our main cities and gateways.

Federal Minister for Tourism Simon Birmingham welcomed the report and said it reinforced the economic benefits and immense opportunities that tourism presents for regional Australia.

“Tourism is such an important job creator and driver of many regional economies,” Minister Birmingham said.

“We have some of the most unique tourism experiences in the world, thanks in-part due to our unique landscape but also because of the innovative and forward-thinking nature of our tourism industry.

“We are uniquely positioned with many of our world-class attractions and unique experiences situated outside of our major cities.

“This presents enormous opportunities for our tourism industry, but as this report points out, we do need look at whether more can be done to get more tourists out into the regions to spend more and stay longer.

“Our major cities will always be essential gateway attractions but we also want visitors to venture out beyond our major cities and get a taste of the unique experiences and attractions on offer across regional Australia.

Assistant Minister for Regional Tourism Jonathon Duniam said the report is an important reminder of just how much Australia has to offer all visitors.

“The millions of Australians and international visitors who venture into regional Australia is a major achievement for our tourism industry, but we can do more.

“The money they spend helps sustain small regional communities, diversifying their economies and providing more local jobs. As tourism continues to grow and prosper, there are opportunities in getting more tourists fanning out to the beach, the bush and beyond.

“Drawing more international visitors to the bush is especially vital as only eight cents of every tourism dollar spent in regional Australia comes from overseas tourists.”

Among the report’s recommendations are:

• Showcasing the extensive offerings in regional Australia by promoting what’s on offer in surrounding areas.
• Marketing that leverages off a region’s strengths and is focused on those visitors actively seeking experiences and in a way they understand.
• Promoting what’s on offer in surrounding areas so that visitors look beyond anchor attractions, and convert daytrips to overnight trips and weekend getaways into week-long stays.
• Demystifying time and distance by informing travellers of the many great attractions close to our main cities.
• Better use of digital technologies to help visitors develop personalised itineraries for various types of travel experiences.

For more information The Beach, Bush and Beyond: Understanding Regional Dispersal of Australian Tourists report can be found here.