Conference research slams Australian tourism product

Australian holidays are perceived as being of low quality and bad value according to a presenter at this week's 2012 National Tourism & Events Excellence Conference.

Gruen Transfer advertising guru Russel Howcroft has told the conference that new global research shows that Australians are perceived as being unreliable, unhelpful and untrustworthy.

Howcroft explained that while Americans see Aussies as carefree and rugged, they don't think Australians deliver quality or good value. Chinese think we're stylish and classy but not very helpful, Indians feel Aussies are daring but also arrogant and the Brits regard us as charming and independent but untrustworthy.

Howcroft, a veteran of the advertising world for over 20 years, is Chief Executive of Y&R Brands, Australia and New Zealand. The positive news, he told delegates, was these perceptions could be changing, with 80% of foreign markets viewing Australia as "different" while 60% had knowledge of the country. Unfortunatley, only 30% of those researched held Australia in high esteem.

Remarkably, Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy agreed with Howcroft, although he did stress that he feels the current 'There's Nothing Like Australia' campaign is positively changing perceptions.

McEvoy highlighted that using Bollywood stars as ambassadors to promote Australia was a key plank in boosting Indian tourism following the student protests in 2009 while TAs latest campaign aimed at China featuring Chinese music stars.

McEvoy explained "there's different perceptions in different countries about Australia, so we're encouraging people who have been to Australia to tell our story via Facebook and it is working."

However, Howcroft's analysis and McEvoy's acceptance of the research has not been well received by some sections of Australia's travel media.

Global Travel Media Special Correspondent John Alwyn-Jone suggested that "while some might applaud Mr McEvoy's apparent honesty in backing the results of the survey, which may or may not be accurate, don't you find it as surprising as I do, that the person charged with positively promoting Australia, and its image and reputation overseas, did not take a much more positive line, perhaps even going as far as rejecting the results of the survey?

"Perhaps it is time for change at the top of Australian tourism, with the industry in serious crisis, an issue that those in power do not seem to have grasped and if the George Patterson Y&R ad agency survey result and Mr McEvoy's lacklustre response are anything to go by, we can potentially expect to see even fewer international visitors in future."

The 2012 National Tourism & Events Excellence Conference was held on Monday and Tuesday (16th and 17th July) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

For information on the event and its staging in 2013 contact the TEE Conference Secretariat on 07 3012 9575, E: secretariat@teeconference.com, www.teeconference.com 

Image: Australian Geograhic' depiction of 100 Australian icons. Courtesy of illustrator Jim Tsinganos.

4th July 2012 - SOCIAL MEDIA SHAPING THE WAY AUSTRALIANS TRAVEL