Competitive intelligence: tourism big hitters look to carve out more territory

Hobbits hog the headlines as Canada’s rivals dream of further success in the latest global update

2012-10-22 — /travelprnews.com/ — Travellers are dreamers, looking to turn their fantasies into their next trip. CTC News has separated fact from fiction to keep the Canadian tourism industry informed of overseas ambitions.

Gathering the information is a painstaking process, but the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)’s colleagues, partners, general sales agents and other industry insiders in its key international markets perform it diligently. Muito obrigado!

• Shire folk: the pitter-patter of hobbit feet has been heard Down Under with the launch of Tourism New Zealand’s latest campaign, 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand. The TV and cinema ad, which has a creative theme of “fantasy is reality,” ties the fantasy world as depicted in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” with the real-life landscapes of Kiwi country. Any potential visitors can rest assured there are no large golden dragons lying in wait.

•  Flush from the success of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London along with record-breaking visitor numbers and tourist spending, the UK government announced plans in late summer to give VisitBritain an extra £10 million to boost tourism at home (£2 million) and from China (£8 million). “We must use this extraordinary year to turbocharge our tourism industry, to create jobs and prosperity on the back of a globally enhance d reputation,” said Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. “And to show that when we talk about Olympic legacy, tourism is an opportunity we seized and ran with all the way to the finishing line.”
• Money, money, money: Tourism Australia has unveiled detailed plans to take a bigger bite out of the much-coveted Asian tourism market. The Aussies plan to use four “key strategic projects,” bankrolled with a tidy AUS $48.5 million from its new Asia Marketing Fund over the next four years. These include targeting China’s second-tier cities, aviation partnerships and rebuilding the recovering Japan market.
• Wedded bliss: if J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth wasn’t enough, Tourism New Zealand is also targeting Indian honeymooners with a campaign for 100% Pure Romance.
• The Chinese are coming: The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forecasts big things for the China travel market. It anticipates that by the end of 2020 Chinese consumers will make 100 million overseas trips per year, up from 2011’s 70 million. They will also knock the Germans and Americans off their perch to become the world’s biggest spending travellers, thanks to a rapidly expanding middle class.
• Brand USA has a new spring in its step after recent research from the UK indicated that 14% more Brits are intending to head to the States after Brand USA’s spring/summer multi-million-dollar campaign.
• And did those feet: VisitEngland has £20 million in extra funding to play with to encourage Brits to holiday in their own Jerusalem. The three-year project, entitled “Growing Tourism Locally,” looks to bring in £365 million in additional tourism revenue.

###