Japanese tourists say no to Australia
A new report today on the decline of Japanese tourism in Australia:
SYDNEY — Australia, with its beautiful Great Barrier Reef and cute koalas, was once seen as the destination of choice for Japanese holiday makers. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released Tuesday, however, have provided more evidence that the Japanese tourist industry in Australia is on a sharp decline.
The number of Japanese tourists visiting Australia fell by 8.6% last year, despite the government investing millions of dollars in advertising to lure them Down Under. Tourism Minister Fran Bailey said she was concerned about the fall in Japanese tourists. “The appreciation of the Australian dollar to the yen, coupled with the slashing of aviation seats out of Japan by 9% is making the dream of an Australian holiday less of a reality for too many Japanese,” Bailey said.
The government introduced a A$13 million Japanese action plan in a bid to rescue the A$2 billion market in 2005, which included marketing Australia as a “fresh” destination that offered more experiences than just the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Opera House.
Has the strength of the Australian dollar killed Japanese tourism in Australia? Is the Japanese love affair with koalas and kangaroos at an end?
[See our previous updates on Japanese tourism in Australia here and here.]
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There’s a new campaign at Umeda, Osaka, with so far two pictures, first is a Japanese family all in matching yukata down to the getas, apparently fresh out of the onsen, but standing across the bay from Sydney Opera House. The second was of a typical young female tourist sitting at an outdoor cafe being waited upon by three attentive *Japanese* waiters.
I was too busy trying to work out what the posters were trying to say to catch the catch copy, or even who it was who was sponsoring the ads. Perhaps if I’d looked more closely I’d have seen “Why the bloody hell did you come here?”, sponsored by Youkoso Japan…
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Well, the population of young japanese is decreasing (Australia was always a popular place for young people for working holidays).
And their economic status is also not that good because of the long economic deppression.
But I also think that in this ten years there is more focus on Asia in general among young people in Japan.
The people visiting china of Korea, Taiwan and other South east asian countries is increasing I believe.
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Yes, the strength of the Australian dollar is not helping Japanese tourism nor is it helping me for when I change my bundle of saved yen in AUD when I return home next month!
Seriously though, I think this is it. Australia was once a cheap country to visit. Now it’s more expensive than Japan.
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The high AUD and the fact that flights are RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE are killing the tourist trade… QANTAS and JAL monopoly on the route only drives up the costs.
Menawhile China has opened and is significantly cheaper and closer.
GAME OVER
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Is that koala dead or asleep?
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He’s dead, V, he’s dead!
I think, to be honest, Japanese youngsters are discovering other English countries other then Australia and Hawaii. Canada is becoming hugely popular with Japanese tourists so its possible they’re just high tailing it out of Aussy Land into Canuck Country.
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I study in australia, and i find it absolutely boring. I really think that along with the expensive dollar, many people don’t want to visit this country because they can do the same things for less elsewhere.
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