TOURISM VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT

International MARKETING
Tourism Victoria works
closely with Tourism
Australia, airlines, key
international travel industry
partners and the Victorian
tourism industry to promote
Victoria internationally to
potential visitors and the
travel trade.
Victoria attracted 1.5 million
international visitors in the year ending
March 2008. International visitors
tend to stay substantially longer than
domestic visitors. They account for
eight per cent of overnight visitors,
but 31 per cent of overnight visitor
expenditure. International visitors
spend $8.8 million per day on average
in Victoria. This is why Tourism Victoria
focuses on growing the high yielding
international visitor markets.
A mix of trade and consumer
marketing strategies and techniques are
used to increase awareness of, and to
build visitation to Victoria.
International visitors
account for 31% of
overnight expenditure
in Victoria
Tourism Victoria’s international marketing
activities are managed from the
Melbourne head office, supported by
staff at offices in the United Kingdom,
Germany, New Zealand, the United
States of America, Singapore, Japan,
China, Hong Kong, Korea and India.
Consumer Marketing
Tourism Victoria leverages Tourism
Australia’s brand activity in all
international markets and also
undertakes independent brand
campaigns where budgets permit.
Given the cost of advertising in many
markets, targeted public relations and
media familiarisations programs are a
cost effective method of generating
awareness of Victoria as a destination.
Tourism Victoria continues to build
relevant destination content on
visitmelbourne.com and its market
and language variants, leading the way
with initiatives such as podcasting
(an excellent medium to communicate
with target audiences) and vod
(or video) casting.
Tourism Victoria showcased many
of Victoria’s key international product
strengths via consumer promotions,
throughout the year, particularly the
State’s food and wine, and impressive
hallmark events calendar.
Highlights included:
United Kingdom
• Tourism Victoria teamed with
Invest Victoria to showcase Victorian
wines at Harrods flagship London
store. Victoria received point of
sale exposure through all Harrods
food and beverage outlets, coverage
in the Harrods magazine, delivered
to 70,000 customers and via
online activity on harrods.com
and a dedicated microsite on
visitmelbourne.com/uk-harrods.
• Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival
was promoted in Ireland and the
United Kingdom through a special
$100,000 State Government tourism
marketing initiative. Activities included
participation over three days at the
Irish Autumn Racing Carnival, hosting
a marquee, promoting Victorian
wine and fashion, competitions and
sponsoring the final race of the Irish
Field St Leger, the ‘visitmelbourne.
com Handicap’. The marquee and
additional Brand Victoria signage were
viewed by approximately 20,000
racegoers over the three day carnival.
This exposure was augmented by
the production of a 32-page colour
supplement in conjunction with the
premier national newspaper, The Irish
Times, a consumer competition in The
Irish Times Magazine, and a sporting
capital focused advertorial in The Irish
Times Rugby World Cup supplement.
Point of sale exposure at Harrods flagship London store, United Kingdom
34 MARKETING