TA to up targets for business events

Asia is growing much more rapidly in the Australian business events sector than anticipated with existing targets now considered "conservative", according to Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy.

The latest figures revealed a 2% increase in business events visitors in the year to June, however that growth was led by steep rises from both India and China of 25% and 13% respectively which offset declines from other markets.

The sector now looks set to comfortably achieve the targets set out in the Tourism 2020 plan written at the start of the decade, McEvoy told the Australian Business Events Expo in Sydney yesterday.

"When we wrote the plan, the sector was worth just over $8 billion with the aim of doubling it to $16 or $17 billion," he said.

But the destination marketing body will "recalibrate" existing targets to become "more ambitious" with recent sharply rising numbers in mind, McEvoy revealed.

Overall tourism has risen between 5% and 6% in the year to June with a mixed performance across a number of sectors.

"As corporate and educational travel have slowed a bit, the stars of the show have been business events and leisure," McEvoy said.

Meanwhile, he confirmed that the tourism body continues to work closely with destination bureaux to "better position" Australia internationally with its There's Nothing Like Australia campaign transferring to the business events sector well.

He identified Australia's safety and nature as its keys strengths, with its food and wine also becoming an increasingly important focus.

"The world is travelling more and more on its belly," he said. "It's a story we want to tell much more powerfully when pitching for events."

These points of difference are what gives Australia the "sizzle" over it competitiors beyond its convention centres and hotels, he added.