In a very classy move, Australia’s peak outbound tourism council is getting behind inbound visitation by encouraging Aussies overseas to promote Australia to the world.
At a time when the Australian domestic and inbound tourism sector is reeling from recent bush fires and the ongoing effects of drought across the country, the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) is proving that the travel industry remains united.
CATO represents tour operators and wholesalers in the outbound travel sector, but CATO Managing Director Brett Jardine has called for all Australians to play their part in supporting inbound and domestic tourism.
“Our sincerest condolences go out to every family suffering through physical and emotional trauma, and also the many business owners and operators feeling the devastating effects of these natural disasters”, says Jardine.
“The ongoing drought and recent fires will no doubt have a longer term impact on both Australia’s inbound and outbound travel sectors.”
CATO Managing Director Brett Jardine
According to CATO’s ‘Australians on Holiday – International Leisure Travel Trends’ report, Australian holidaymakers took more than 6 million overseas leisure trips in 2018—a figure that represents roughly 25% of the country’s entire population. And Jardine believes this represents a significant advocacy opportunity for inbound tourism.
“Each of those travelling Australians is a potential advocate for everything Australia has to offer as an iconic tourist destination. Whether they’re chatting to locals over a beer in a British pub, part of a multi-nationality trekking group in Nepal, or skiing with foreigners in Japan, we encourage all travelling Australians to promote visitation down-under from all over the world,” adds Jardine.
Click here to find out more.