ITR - Australia / Perth Today for InTouchRadio.net News (UK/GLOBAL)

jan

16 Jun 2008, 02:07

Perth - Monday

High Australian $ Petrol Price Bedevilling Western Australia Tourism

16th June 2008, 8:30 WST

The strong Australian dollar and rising fuel prices spells tough times ahead for WA tourism, organisers of a major international travel expo have predicted.

Tourism Australia managing director Geoff Buckley — an organiser of the seven-day Australian Tourism Exchange expo being held at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre — said these pressures would make it a tough year for the industry.

“We think we’re probably going to look at something like a one per cent growth on last year or flat,” he said. “It very much depends on where these fuel prices end up, it very much depends on what the reaction is from the airlines.”

Mr Buckley said Australia was a niche rather than mass market destination but denied it was among the most expensive tourist destinations in the world.

His comments come after statistics last week showed that international tourists were visiting WA in record numbers and spending record amounts but domestic travel in the State had declined. The figures for the year ending in March showed that overseas visitors’ expenditure in WA had risen 17.1 per cent, outperforming the national average of 5.8 per cent.

The owner of Mandurah accommodation group Crest, Craig Green, said his biggest concern was the strong Australian dollar.

“If our dollar continues to get stronger, it’s going to cripple us with our tourism market,” he said. “It’s great for Australians wanting to travel overseas, not good for trying to get the international market to come to us.”

Tourism WA chief executive Richard Muirhead predicted international visits to the State would continue to increase during the next 12 months and he was more concerned about further drops in the domestic market.

“I don’t think we should apologise for not being a cheap destination,” he said. “I don’t think we (offer) a cheap experience.”

Mr Buckley admitted accommodation shortages and the effects of the gas crisis had been challenges, given the influx of visitors, but said compromises had been made.

About 600 overseas buyers from more than 40 countries are attending the Australian Tourism Exchange expo, which is heralded as the biggest international travel trade show in the southern hemisphere with about 2000 people attending and an estimated 45,000 meetings scheduled between Australian tourism businesses and overseas buyers.

Delegates attending the expo have been told of the gas crisis and asked to limit their use of fresh linen and towels while staying in Perth hotels.

Perth Ambassador Hotel sales and marketing director Hannah Clark said it was embarrassing when WA was portrayed as a firstclass destination but could not guarantee basic services.

InTouchRadio.net nor InTouchRadio.net staff or friends do not necessarily agree with any content sent for posting - we supply a service for the World to interact with.