Tourism Australia pins hopes on China

AAP

EDS: Not for use before 1400 AEST Monday, June 4

By Tony Bartlett, AAP Tourism writer

SHANGHAI, June 4 AAP - With more than 500 million internet users, China could be the mouse that roared for Tourism Australia's (TA) new global marketing campaign.

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The digital world will play a pivotal role in the success of the $250 million push, launched on Monday in Shanghai.

And with more than 80 per cent of Chinese travellers now researching destinations and brands online, the Middle Kingdom will be crucial.

In the next decade an average of 25 million tourists will pour out of China each year.

That is 70,000 every day.

Social media and advocacy are critical components in the next phase of TA's "There's Nothing Like Australia".

The campaign will be adapted for digital platforms, with the tourism body's three million Facebook fans in mind.

TA boss Andrew McEvoy says a new intuitive tablet app, created to let users delve deeper into featured locations, will be updated regularly.

"We all get a lot of apps and we get excited to begin with, until they go stale," he told AAP.

"This app is first-generation and really exciting.

"But every six months or so we need fresh news, reasons for people to reload it, and for those who don't have it, to get it."

After launching with 14 destinations, more will be added regularly to give people a constant flow of new information.

"Our business is almost like the fashion industry, it's about what's new and we have the ability to keep talking to people through this app for years to come," he said.

TA's Nick Baker said people could go from inspiration to information with the click of a mouse.

"We can take the story a little further, a little deeper in the online medium where travel decisions today are overwhelmingly made, and travel stories most told," Mr Baker said.

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