Mohit Rathod – Mumbai
Australia’s south coast island state of Tasmania plans to leverage upon the rising leisure and luxury travel trend among the Indian middle class. Tourism Tasmania, the tourism arm of Tasmanian Government, recently conducted destination promotion events in Delhi and Mumbai. The tourism authority plans to tap the leisure travel segment in the India market, due to the growing outbound numbers from the country.
The event in Mumbai saw the Premier of Tasmania, Will Hodgman; John Fitzgerald, CEO, Tourism Tasmania highlighting the island state’s growth plans in India. Whereas, former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting shared about the destination’s tourism offerings.
Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Fitzgerald said, “Leisure is our focus segment in the India market. At this stage, the Indian middle class travelling for luxury is seeing growth; and Tasmania fits the bill for that. This year we are targeting major Indian cities such as Mumbai and Delhi, but I’m sure we will expand to other cities as we visit the market again. Awareness about Tasmania is less in India, so we have to concentrate our efforts on that.”
Though this event is a standalone activity of Tourism Tasmania, it will work with the national tourism authority, Tourism Australia, for trade engagements. In 2015, Tasmania witnessed around 4,100 Indian arrivals, which is said to have grown in 2016.
Hodgman added, “Tasmania’s tourism industry has been growing considerably in the recent years. Growth from India hasn’t been strong as compared to other international markets, but we look forward to tap this market through co-ordination with the government and the travel industry in India. We consider India as an important market in terms of growth opportunities.”
The tourism body has chalked out a 10-year growth strategy for the India market, and anticipates double-digit year-on-year growth in Indian arrivals. Fitzgerald indicated that Tourism Tasmania’s next step will be co-ordinated efforts with the Indian travel trade on points such as Tasmanian packages.
