Disasters impact tourism down under

21 Mar 2011  2044 | World Travel News

While many claim it is too early to predict the overall impact of recent natural disasters on inbound figures, Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) chief executive John Lee expects it to be “bad news for Australian tourism”.

Numbers into Australia are likely to suffer this year, Mr Lee told e-Travel Blackboard, adding that that he anticipates the recent natural disasters in some of Australia’s key source markets to affect inbound arrival figures.According to Mr Lee, New Zealand stands as Australia’s number one market source, while Japan sits high up at number five.

"Naturally, Japan will have an inward focus as it recovers and rebuilds following this devastating tragedy and that will mean fewer Japanese travelling internationally,” Mr Lee said."Combine the likely drop in arrivals from Japan with a potential decrease in arrivals from New Zealand after the Christchurch earthquake, and it's bad news for Australian tourism.”

The setback to Australian tourism comes as the country witnessed recovery from the Japanese market last year, reporting a 12 percent increase in arrivals after figures halved between 2004 and 2009, the TTF head said.Mr Lee added that popular travel destinations in Queensland including Cairns and the Gold Coast are likely to experience the brunt in tourism decline.

"The timing couldn't really be worse for Queensland, which is ramping up its campaign to spread the word that the state is ready, willing and able to welcome visitors in the wake of the floods and cyclone Yasi,” he said.

Mr Lee added that Australians can go a long way to support national attractions and destinations by booking domestic holidays. "Going to Queensland will help out struggling operators and the more than 220,000 Queenslanders who rely on tourism for their livelihoods."

Source = etravelblackboard

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