New Tourism Australia MD considers backpacker market ‘essential’ to strategy

Newly appointed Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy has labelled the backpacker market “essential” to its strategy with the working holiday visa program a key contributor.   

Speaking to Thumbrella last week, McEvoy said backpackers are essential to tourism in Australia as they turn into travellers of the future.

“It introduces first time travellers to our country and nine times out of ten they become massive advocates, they grow up and become great professionals and then older independents and they hopefully come back and see us again. So they’re essential,” he said.

McEvoy added there was a lot of activity globally dedicated to the youth market, especially through social networking with the working holiday visa program to be an emphasis for upcoming TA campaigns.

“I was looking before at the Facebook site for Tourism Australia, we now have 340,000 people signed up on that site globally,” he said.

­­“The other big part of it for us is the Working Holiday visa and given the number of new countries that have come onboard over the last three to five years we’re seeing that the strength and growth of that is phenomenal, particularly in places like Europe and the US. So, the Working Holiday visa will be a strong part of what we do,” McEvoy added.

The new MD was quick to acknowledge the efforts of the backpacking sector in Australia, despite industry members not always seeing eye to eye.

“They do a lot of the hard work to get people to turn up. They’re one of the best networking groups of people. Like all parts of our industry, they can be somewhat fragmented and not always dancing to the beat of the same drum and that’s perhaps what a campaign can help do. It can be a unifying or rallying cry. The backpacker industry in Australia is phenomenal and I love working with those guys because of their passion and enthusiasm,” he said.

As to whether the sector should be named ‘backpacker’, McEvoy said ‘independent traveller’ is more suited.

He said: “To me, it’s more about independent travel where the experiences are probably the most important thing and they will want to spend less on accommodation to have the best that they can have during the time that they’re here.”

By Alice Terlikowski  ·  February 8th, 2010 at 4:52 pm

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Comments


  1. Belinda Gurd
    9 Feb 10
    10:00 am

    2. We love the backpackers! I know so many great people who have started out in Oz for 1 year on their working holiday visa, and have ended up staying in Oz for years and years.

    It’s also becasue of them that we have such a great reputation overseas.

    I also think our farmers couldn’t live without them. Sometimes it’s the backpakers that are the only ones that will work the land.

    Maybe they should make the working holiday visa longer than a year?

  2. scotty
    9 Feb 10
    12:48 pm

    3. I would like to be among the ‘independent travel’ advisers to the new tourism MD, Andrew McEvoy. From the statement above, it appears he needs the good oil, like, yesterday.

  3. John
    9 Feb 10
    8:25 pm

    4. Scotty, I coudn’t agree more. It seems that the good MD could do with getting to know the Backpacker market a little better. “Turn into the travellers of the future”?? What about the massive boost to the economy the provide while they’re here the first time. He seems to be dismissing backpackers as trainee travellers and as for renaming “independant travellers”!?? Come on get in touch!!

  4. Dominic Davies
    9 Feb 10
    11:22 pm

    5. Thumbrella, Can you please ask Mr McEvoy: ‘What Kevin Rudds proposal to raise the legal age of drinking to 21 would have on the BP market?

  5. AJ
    10 Feb 10
    2:59 am

    6. “Farmers couldn’t live without them,” says Belinda (and a host of others) — Forget the BP market, the IT market, the VFR market — this is the CL market, Cheap Labour, and if we are not careful, Oz will become an agricultural sweat shop — just ensure Kev does not raise the booze age: would hate for them to sober up and ask for better rates of pay.

  6. greg cole
    10 Feb 10
    9:21 am

    7. Andrew McEvoy has a great track record and a good national and international perspective on our market. This from his time at Tourism SA. Commentators here are making statements that might suggest they’d like Mr McEvoy to be our personal envoy to the UN of backpacking. We are but part of something much bigger, we will be noticed and I am very confident that we will get results.

    Any sensible leader needs to sit back and observe and absorb in any new position. Especially a position that involves packaging and selling the worlds biggest island resort .

    But hey, don’t let up on him…

  7. graeme lanham
    13 Feb 10
    1:11 am

    8. Andrew McEvoy is spot on with his comments. In my book research, I was amazed at the huge number of backpackers travelling in Australia and the important role they play in all aspects of the tourism industry. This is one market we must actively promote overseas. They are particularly interested in work, the beaches, adventure travel, clean budget accommodation, the outback and the best ways to save time and money. You are right. If they love Australia on their first visit, they will tell their friends and they will return.

  8. scotty
    15 Feb 10
    12:44 pm

    9. Graeme, Greg et al,I would just like to point out that mine and other comments of a similar nature are expressions of amazement and bemusement that a Tourism Australia CEO could have a such a ‘Eureka!’ moment over our backpacker industry in 2010.

    I mean, the backpacker industry has been punching above it`s weight long before I entered the demographic in 1988 and I find it hard to suppress a giggle or two when I read “It introduces first time travellers to our country and nine times out of ten they become massive advocates, they grow up and become great professionals and then older independents and they hopefully come back and see us again. So they’re essential,”. I`m sorry, but DERR-RRRRRRRR!!!

    I thought BTAP, BOA, BOAV, BQ etc might have enlightened most government and tourism bodies of how important the backpacker market is YEARS ago! All those meetings, conferences, panels and committee member`s hard work finally kicking a goal…..some recognition in 2010.

    The backpacker (and that IS what the majority of them refer to themselves as) doesn`t need to “grow up’, as many of them are qualified professionals (Doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, etc) who travel the world saving on accommodation ( by staying, Mr McEvoy, in BACKPACKERS hostels! ) to prolong their travel time and allow them to have more funds for tours that take their interest. Once they have kids of their own,yes, they come back and have been doing so since the early 90`s.

    QED, the backpacking industry should be given at least 50% of any marketing budget to attract likely repeat visitors to our shores whilst their “youth window” is open, lest they make South America, Africa or Asia their initial backpacking adventure destination and we miss out, right now and in the future.

    As I offered in my first post, I am more than happy to join any committee that will be advising Andrew McEvoy to bring him up to speed on the most important tourism market in Australia, the “Backpacking” segment.

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