TNS Global: Operators must think outside the GFC box to sustain healthy visitor numbers

Backpacker tourism operators cannot rely on the Global Financial Crisis to motivate their key markets to travel to Australia and must attract them in areas other than price, a conference has heard.  

TNS Global director Carolyn Childs told the Adventure and Backpacker Industry Conference last week, the reason backpacker visitor numbers to Australia has grown is because of unemployment in key markets but operators mustn’t depend on this trend to keep backpackers coming.

“Unemployment in some of our key source markets is going up so they’re travelling now. That’s really important to remember that we can’t rely on that as being a sustainable trend unless we do things to sustain that advantage,” she said.

Speaking about price not being the only factor motivating budget travellers, Childs said the backpacker market isn’t most concerned with price but the experience involved.

“They want to forget about the recession, they don’t want to be thinking about money, they want to be thinking about adventure, zest for life, lot’s of fun. It’s really important that we remember that that is who we’re talking to, yeah price is there but there needs to be something more,” she explained.

Childs also explained that parents and family members are the stakeholders in youth travel decisions and must also be considered when marketing to a backpacker. Childs referenced a backpacking holiday in Australia she booked for her sister from overseas. She said: “I wasn’t looking for the cheapest place when I knew I would have to explain to my father what my precious little sister was going to be doing once she was in Australia. These days you’re influencing parents and family members as well.”

By Alice Terlikowski  ·  November 11th, 2009 at 9:36 am

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