ATEC launches an array of new market focused Host programs

As Australian tourism businesses begin to welcome more inbound visitors, Australian Tourism Export Council’s training hub has expanded its offering of market specific Host programs to align with the needs of new and emerging markets.

This week the Federal Government released ‘Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040’, which looks at ways to seize business opportunities offered by our region.  The Strategy specifically outlines the major opportunity offered by Australia’s tourism industry and its contribution to the economy. 

“What the Invested Strategy outlines is both the potential and opportunity the tourism industry has in realising a very available market of Southeast Asian visitors,” ATEC Managing Director Peter Shelley said of the report.

“With an expected quadrupling of Southeast Asian traveller numbers by 2040, up to 181 million annually, Australia’s proximity and uniqueness offer both opportunity and challenges, particularly in ensuring our product is fresh and engaging and our service can meet expectations.

“The Strategy offers ATEC’s Muslim Host as an example of an industry led training program working to support tourism businesses to build their skills and understanding of a specific market in order to meet the needs of these emerging visitors.”

Tourism Australia has been a key partner in supporting the establishment of ATEC’s Tourism Training Hub and the range of Market focused Host programs offered including China Host, India Host, Indonesia Host, Muslim Host, Accessible & Inclusive Host and Japan Host and Korea Host both under development.

Shelley adds “the Strategy recommends a focus on capability-building programs to help businesses better understand cultural preferences and expectations of travellers from Southeast Asia to support businesses in successfully connecting to this potential.

“ATEC is proud to be ahead of the curve in delivering these programs to our industry and to be offering it in a way that is fresh, easy to access, relevant and developed by industry leaders for a post-covid traveller.

“These Host programs are essential for tourism businesses, and any business which wants to have a greater understanding of particular markets, their culture, expectations and product positioning and working with international tourism trade will be vital to the growth of the tourism industry going forward.”

ATEC already partners with organisations across Australia in delivering training through the Tourism Training Hub including: Destination NSW, Tourism Northern Territory, Parks Victoria, City of Bendigo, City of Ballarat, Visit Canberra, Tourism Western Australia, Moreton Bay, Tourism Tasmania, Business Events Geelong.

For more information on ATEC's Tourism Training Hub and the range of Host programs on offer 

Access Federal Government’s ‘Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 

Image top: ATEC’s Muslim Host - The growth of the Muslim population and their increasing disposable income have resulted in a large number of Muslims taking up travel for leisure, business, healthcare and religious reasons. This increase has seen Muslim travellers becoming one of the fastest growing travel segments in the tourism industry. Australian Tourism Export Council and Tourism Australia have created a ‘Muslim Host - Market & Culture Ready' training program aimed at providing insights on how to service the needs of the Muslim traveller.