Indian visitors rank Australia as Number 1 for Food and Wine experiences, shows highest intention

Jan. 11, 2013 - PRLog -- A major international tourism research project into how Indian consumers view Australia and what most motivates them to visit has been unveiled by Tourism Australia. Conducted across 11 of Australia’s key tourism markets, the research surveyed 1,200 Indian customers, who were selected on the basis of their previous long-haul travel behavior and/ or their intention to travel long haul in the next few years participated in an online survey.

According to the research, the majority of Indian travellers ranked safety, world class natural beauty, value for money, romantic experiences and a destination that offers a wide range of activities for all age groups, as the biggest triggers for choosing a holiday destination.

Indians ranked the Australian beaches, its Wildlife, Island experiences, Rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef, as the top attractions that appealed to travellers.

Other findings of the research were as below:

·         Australia ranked No. 1 on safety, world-class natural beauty, friendly and open citizens, the highest rank amongst all competitor countries.

·         Australia ranked # 1 on Food & Wine amongst those Indians who have previously travelled to Australia.

·         Sydney, Gold Coast, Cairns, Melbourne and Kangaroo Island were the most appealing regions for Indians intending to visit Australia.

·         68 per cent of Indians said that they use general internet search as a preferred source when planning a trip to Australia; whilst 43 per cent would use a travel agent to book their Australia holiday.

·         Indian visitors ranked amongst those with high satisfaction and expectations from their previous visit to Australia.

·         Indians also showed the highest intention to visit Australia for a holiday, amongst Australia’s 11 key tourism markets.

·         Most Indian travellers preferred the months of November and December as the most likely time of the year to take a holiday to Australia

In releasing the findings, Tourism Australia as a part of its India 2020 Strategy Plan intends to further evolve its future marketing activities in India, and identify opportunities to make the country’s tourism offering more attractive to Indian visitors.

Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager – India, Tourism Australia said, ‘The study provides an understanding of what motivates long haul travellers and provides directional guidance to our promotion efforts. It is encouraging to see Indian visitors have the highest levels of intention to visit Australia and this is also reflected in the consistent growth in visitor arrivals to Australia. In the 10 months to October 2012, there has been a 14 per cent increase in leisure arrivals to Australia from India, with spends from Indian leisure travellers increasing by 17 per cent. Using the India 2020 strategy, we will work towards amplifying the strengths that consumers identify with Australia and prioritise our future marketing activities and spending accordingly.’