News

Tourism Australia reported (17-Apr-2017) visitor arrivals to Australia fell 2% in Feb-2017. Details include:

• Visitor arrivals: 780,100, -2.1% year-on-year;
• • China: 142,200, -18.2%;
  • UK: 87,100, +7.1%;
  • New Zealand: 82,400, +4.3%;
  • US: 74,100, +4.5%;
  • Singapore: 27,200, -15.0%. [more - original PR]

Qantas advised a parliamentary committee to refrain from allowing international carriers to operate on domestic routes in Australia, known as cabotage (Sydney Morning Herald, 17-Apr-2017). A submission by Qantas Group executive Andrew Parker to the senate committee which is investigating the possibility of cabotage, stated any changes would have substantial economic, employment and operational risks and would undermine Australia's position in future air services negotiations. The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development submission stated cabotage can be considered under existing policy in exceptional cases, such as on routes not serviced by Australian airlines.

Tourism New Zealand stated (13-Apr-2017) the World Masters Games opens in Auckland on 21-Apr-2017 and is a major opportunity to encourage as many of the international participants, their family and friends, to stay longer and travel further afield in New Zealand before or after the Games. The Games also provide a platform to showcase New Zealand to the world. Before the event, Tourism New Zealand has produced content that has resulted in 89 stories globally that are helping to promote New Zealand as a tourist destination. Tourism New Zealand will also continue to explore content and PR opportunities with visiting media throughout the 10 day event. [more - original PR]

Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand partnered (18-Apr-2017) with Brazilian travel show, Lugar Incomum to feature the country in eight dedicated episodes. Tourism New Zealand GM Americas and Europe Bjoern Spreitzer stated Tourism New Zealand took full advantage of the show’s airtime and built a significant marketing campaign around it including amplified advertising in Brazil featuring the show’s host Didi Wagner. Mr Spreitzer added: "Brazil is a market showing steady growth and with direct flights to New Zealand now arriving three times a week from nearby Buenos Aires with plans to extend, the region has really opened up". [more - original PR]

Tourism & Transport Forum Australia (TTF) stated (17-Feb-2017) the "continued cap on aircraft movements at Sydney Airport is fast becoming a cap on international visitor arrivals at Australia’s largest gateway". TTF CEO Margy Osmond warned the constraints are "crippling" Sydney Airport's capability to receive more international services and build visitor numbers and urged restrictions, "must to be reviewed to enable the growth of our international visitor economy to continue". TTF urged the Australian Government to implement the following reforms:

• Increase hourly slot caps and movement caps from 80 to 90 aircraft per hour "to meet peak demand and prepare for growth not just in international traffic, but also domestic flights";
• Eliminate the measure restricting movements to 20 per 15 minutes "to enable much greater flexibility in aircraft movements within the legislated hourly caps";
• Align aircraft slot and movement rules at Sydney Airport with other developments such as airport terminal expansion, in readiness for expected increases in tourist arrivals. [more - original PR]

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued (27-Nov-2015) a draft determination proposing to re-authorise Qantas and American Airlines to continue to coordinate their operations on trans-Pacific routes for a further five years. Under the alliance, the airlines propose to continue coordination in respect of marketing and sales, freight, pricing, scheduling, distribution strategies including agency arrangements, yield and inventory management, frequent flyer programs, lounges, joint procurement, and product and service standards. ACCC Commissioner Dr Jill Walker said: "The ACCC considers this alliance would be likely to result in continued public benefits for passengers travelling between Australia and the US through enhanced products and services including new frequencies and destinations, more online connections, better scheduling, greater loyalty programme benefits and improved lounge access... The alliance is also likely to promote competition between other airlines that provide services on trans-Pacific routes. The ACCC considers that the alliance is unlikely to result in any significant public detriment, largely because the ACCC accepts that American Airlines would be unlikely to introduce its own trans-Pacific services in the absence of its alliance with Qantas". [more - original PR]

IATA announced (23-Oct-2015) results of a study of air travellers "showing that passengers would welcome the richer travel shopping experience that will be enabled by the New Distribution Capability (NDC)". The study was conducted by Atmosphere Research Group on behalf of IATA. Key findings include:

• More than 75% of air travellers said the NDC-based display would make it easier to compare flights and prices and understand the true cost of their flight, compared to how they shop and book travel online today;
• More than 70% of business fliers and 65% of leisure travellers would be more likely to purchase optional airline services if presented with information about the services in an NDC-based display;
• Sixty-three percent of business travellers and 69% of leisure travellers would find it helpful to receive timely promotional offers via text message;
• 68% of business passengers and 64% of leisure passengers would be comfortable with an airline or travel agent informing them about the availability of optional products based on previous purchase data.

The survey also revealed the following travel trends:

• 88% of business passengers and four of five leisure passengers own a smartphone. Seventy percent of business passengers own tablets, as do 60% of leisure passengers;
• Business passengers are younger than leisure travellers, suggesting a “passing of the torch” from older generations of business passengers. [more - original PR]

Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) stated (03-Mar-2015) international arrivals to Canada increased 3% year-over-year in Dec-2014, driven by 11% growth from CTC’s overseas markets. Some 17.1 million international visitors came to Canada in 2015, although tourism growth is below the global average of 5%. [more - original PR]

Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) released (05-Jan-2015) a tourism snapshot for Oct-2014, which found a 9% year-on-year rise in tourism with 1.3 million international travellers. CTC’s overseas markets increased by 15% year-to-date in Oct-2014. The China and South Korea markets reported 36% and 31% rises respectively in terms of visitors to Canada in Oct-2014, while Germany's market increased by 1%, the UK by 9%, and France by 9%. The US market achieved an overall 7% increase in Oct-2014, while the Mexico market increased by 25% year-over-year. CTC’s secondary markets continued to perform strongly in Oct-2014, as traveller numbers to Canada rose 25% year-over-year from Taiwan, 17% from Hong Kong, 15% from Italy, 11% from Switzerland, 7% from Spain, and 2% from the Netherlands. [more - original PR]

Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) released (26-Nov-2014) a tourism snapshot for Sep-2014, which found a 4% year-on-year rise in tourism with 1.7 million international travellers. CTC’s overseas markets increased by 12% year-over-year in Sep-2014. The China and Japan markets reported 24% and 23% rises respectively in terms of visitors to Canada in Sep-2014, while Germany's market increased by 11%, the UK by 9%, and France by 3%. CTC stated the new CAN+ visa programme in India is "already producing dividends", including a 19% boost in travellers to Canada in Sep-2014. The US market achieved an overall 1% increase in Sep-2014. [more - original PR]