Tourism operators and travel agents in Western Australia have joined forces with their counterparts in South Korea to develop a travel program and itinerary promoting WA as a tourism destination.
Tourism operators and travel agents in Western Australia have joined forces with their counterparts in South Korea to develop a travel program and itinerary promoting WA as a tourism destination.
Western Travel Bug managing director Brian Anderson, who helped organise the initiative, said the program’s success would be known in about six months.
Gardenia Tours, United Touring Company Korea (UTC Korea), and Singapore Airlines are other operators involved in the program.
Mr Anderson said Western Travel Bug had focused heavily on the South Korean market during the past two years.
“We are always looking for new markets and we discovered that UTC Korea’s managing director Daniel Lee and ourselves were both looking for a new market at the same time,” he said.
“Daniel flew down and met with our marketing manager, Lisa Walser, earlier this year and discussed WA as a new holiday destination for UTC Korea’s clients.
“And already a travel program and itinerary has been developed and advertised in Korean newspapers.”
With relationships paramount in doing business in Asia Mr Anderson recognised that first-hand knowledge of a destination would be crucial for South Korean agents to sell WA as a tourism product.
So the next step in developing the market was bringing 12 of South Korea’s travel agents and media to Perth for a seven-day getaway.
The group visited Kings Park, Wave Rock, Yanchep National Park, Fremantle, the Swan Valley and several other tourist attractions.
“Their experience in WA will be conveyed to not only their clients and colleagues, but will receive media coverage,” Mr Anderson told WA Business News.
“The Koreans totally enjoyed it but they didn’t expect some of the distances. They want to experience the natural things and get away from the theme parks.”
Despite the financial outlay and lack of guaranteed success, Mr Anderson said the risk was well worth taking.
The initiative attracted the attention of the State Government, with Tourism Minister Mark McGowan commending those involved and saying South Korea was a focus for the Government.
The following week, Premier Geoff Gallop committed $9.4 million for a ‘global advertising blitz’.
And for the first time, money will be spent in two new markets, South Korea ($1.5 million) and China.
“South Korea is an important trade partner for WA, and $1.5 million will be spent increasing awareness of WA over there,” Dr Gallop said.
“By 2008, we want to attract an extra 160,000 international tourists to WA, lifting the overall figure to 750,000 international visitors.
“More than 70,000 people are employed in tourism and we want to grow the industry to create more local jobs and opportunities, especially in regional WA.”
Dr Gallop said the additional investment was expected to generate up to $90 million in visitor spending and create up to 700 long-term jobs in the tourism industry.
“In 2005-06, funding for marketing the state will be 29 per cent higher than the record spending this year,” he said.
“Over a five-year period, including this financial year, the Government will be spending a record $91 million promoting the state.”
Dr Gallop said about 75 per cent of the money would be used to pay for marketing in core markets, including the UK, Japan and New Zealand.
