Growing Visitor Arrivals Show Melbourne Has Little To Fear In Strong Dollar

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20th October 2010, 05:53pm - Views: 1059







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Media Release – October 20, 2010


Growing Visitor Arrivals Show Melbourne 

Has Little to Fear in Strong Dollar; 

Freeing Up Skies Keeps Tourism Sector Strong 


Melbourne has a message for an Australian tourism sector lamenting the negative

effects of a surging dollar, according to the CEO of the city’s famous Windsor Hotel. And

it’s this: free up the skies to let in more airlines and low-cost carriers, and visitor numbers

will soar.


With figures released yesterday showing international visitor arrivals to Melbourne

increased by 15.7 per cent in September over September 2009 and with a 22 per cent

increase in arrivals from Asia, Mr Perry said the sector had a choice: lie down and be a

casualty of the strong dollar or stand up and fight. 


“”Obviously the strong dollar is a negative,” he said. “But the fact is, Melbourne is seeing

incredibly strong growth in visitor arrivals from a large number of markets thanks to

aggressive efforts by Government and tourism authorities to attract increased direct air

services into Melbourne, especially from the south and north Asia regions.


“The bi-partisan policy

of pushing for more airline access has been a real winner for

Melbourne and it will continue to be a winner. The message for the industry nation-wide

is free up the skies and focus on attracting airlines rather than worry about the exchange

rate. Tourists and business visitors will come.”


He said the strong growth is driven by the expansion of low cost carrier services from

Malaysia-based AirAsia X, Jetstar, V Australia, and Tiger, as well as increasing offerings

from China Eastern, Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Air China and China Southern at the higher

end. New upcoming services from Royal Brunei Airlines and Air India would continue the

growth.

 

Mr Perry said suggestions there would be a lag effect because of tourists booking well

ahead of their date of travel was nonsense.


“These days most people book weeks, rather than months, out from planned travel

dates,” he said. “They look for good flight deals and there are certainly plenty of these on

the market. Then they’ll look at their best options for how to spend their money at the

destination. The fact that arrivals from Malaysia are up by a phenomenal 56 per cent last

month compared to a year earlier is due to the huge range of flight deals now available

between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne. It’s not because Malaysians have suddenly

discovered Australia or booked a holiday here a year ago.”


Mr Perry said the increasing number of arrivals was creating or supporting thousands of

jobs in the sector and urged tourism authorities to maintain the focus on expanding

inbound air services.



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“We can lament the fact that, yes, more Australians are holidaying overseas to enjoy the

dollar’s purchasing power or we can make the most of the fact that while much of the

rest of the world remains in recession celebrate we are seeing a huge and sustained

increase in arrivals into Melbourne. There are greater positives that are outweighing the

negatives and as a sector we must be responding creating and proactively to the

opportunities this can create.” 


“Let’s pursue even more vigorously the strategy of welcoming more airlines in, which will

maintain strength in our largest service sector export,” he said. “Now is also the time to

look at giving rights to on sell flights to North America. This would further exploit the

significant potential that remains.”

The 180-room Hotel Windsor was built in 1883, pre-dating some of the world’s leading

grand hotels including the Savoy in London, which was built in 1889, the Waldorf Astoria

in New York which dates back to 1893, and the Ritz Paris which opened in 1898.  

Issued by:

Tango Public Relations, 03 9654 8098. 


For further information:

David Perry, CEO and general manager, The Hotel Windsor, Melbourne. 

03 9633 6000 or 0437 650 755; davidperry@thehotelwindsor.com.au

 






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