VisitBritain makes Australia pledge

UK tourism agency VisitBritain has pledged its commitment to Australia, insisting there are no plans to further reduce its presence in the market.

VisitBritain's Australian office, along with others worldwide, suffered last year as the UK government slashed funding 34%.

The body withdrew altogether from several markets, including New Zealand, and trimmed its Australian staff to just two.

Overseas network director Keith Beecham admitted the worldwide infrastructure cuts had been a “painful process”.

“But there is absolutely every intention to continue with our operation in Australia,” he told Travel Today. “It’s our fourth most important source market in terms of spend so it is important."

“I’d like to have more people but I have to work within the realities of our budget."

Sydney and Melbourne are two of the 14 cities where VisitBritain's recent global brand campaign was rolled out, underscoring their importance, Beecham insisted.

“We are serious about these markets and we want to continue to build ideas and product which help our trade partners.”

The Australian office has relocated to the consulate general’s office in Sydney which Beecham said was a “competitive way of managing our resources”.

“We’ve had to make some painful decisions across the world, and some painful personal decisions because I’ve been the man to look people in the face and explain the situation."