The first Australia Marketplace since COVID happened this week as just under 200 delegates descended in LA for three days of appointments, updates, and networking.
"It's been a couple of years since we've been able to be together, and Tourism Australia is so very excited to be back in market," Tourism Australia's Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison said in her welcome to the group.
"Thank you much for your commitment to this market. Thank you for investing and coming up here to meet with your colleagues. It's just so great to have you here. You have really stuck with us over the last couple of years, and you've engaged with us, you've kept telling our Australian stories; and that has been so important for us."
Harrison's excitement was palpable as she welcomed Chris Allison, Tourism Australia's VP of North America who said Australia is poised for a strong comeback.
"This year is going to be a significant year, not just for Tourism Australia, but throughout our industry, particularly for the North American market. This year is going to give you a sense of just how important the market is to our business going forward."
Tourism Australia plans to also align marketing with events such as World Pride 2023, happening in Sydney. International partnerships will continue such as with Marketplace sponsors Qantas and American Airlines and Canadian partners such as Air Canada, Goway and Flight Centre.
In 2019, North Americans comprised one million tourists spending $4 billion. In an interview with TravelPulse Canada, Allison says FY23 goals include a stronger MICE component, but the overall major focus is brand marketing, with a stronger strategy in Canada than has ever been seen before.
Some of those initiatives will include FAM trip and educational training sessions for agents.
"I used to be a travel agent and 25 years ago, they were saying travel agents are a thing of the past. They're not and in fact, I think they're more important than ever because people need that security," says Harrison. "They love the concierge; they love the service. I think agents are here to stay. And we at Tourism Australia believe that and will invest in that."
Asked about their current strategy inclusion of promoting Australia through OTAs, Allison and Harrison say for them it's a media platform.
"It's called the billboard effect for a reason," says Harrison. "It gets your brand out there. People aren't going to book complex itineraries through an OTA. Our philosophy on distribution is we want to be where our customers will find us."
Allison agrees, saying "we must win when it comes to consideration of Australia for travellers. If we're not top of mind, we won't attract the travellers. That's a big focus of our brand marketing."
"We're turning quicker from Canada right now than we are in the US. Air Canada is a good indicator of that in terms of how they're returning their capacity; they're returning their capacity quicker than we expected," says Allison.
"Our partners and agents are key, we're using their strong networks to get focused and excited and engaged about Australia again."
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