Introduction
Gone are the days of ‘tick-box’ travel. Visitors in Australia and around the world are looking for more. It’s not just about where you’ve been but what you felt, thought and remembered from being there.
Truly authentic experiences distinguish a destination from its competitors and the perceived opportunity for such experiences can attract visitors to a destination. These travellers have been identified by Tourism Australia as “Experience Seekers” – primary target groups within the domestic and inbound tourist markets.
Australian Experience Seekers are travellers with a preference for both interstate and overseas travel who spent more than $2,000 on their last holiday. When we look at the average trip cost per person, Australian Experience Seekers spent $3,498 on their last holiday, three and a half times more than the average Australians spent. Barriers to domestic travel include competition from overseas destinations, changes to household spending and stockpiling of annual leave.
When travelling, Australian Experience Seekers often want to visit more than one destination, and the best received holidays include a variety of experiences, rather than a stand alone destination draw card. They are looking for unique, involving and personal experiences gained from their holiday.
This section will outline how you can create a more competitive offer by moving away from promoting merely a commodity, product or service towards selling an experience, and by streamlining business processes.
