Digital Marketing Boost for Tasmanian Tourism
11 June 2009
Courtesy - Tourism Tasmania website.
The Minister for Tourism, Michelle O’Byrne, today announced that the State Government would provide $1.5 million for a range of tourism initiatives to boost the marketing of Tasmania and its tourism experiences in the domestic and global market place.
“These initiatives demonstrate the State Government is committed to preserving its investment in tourism marketing, and ensuring our tourism industry remains strong and prosperous, underpinning jobs in Tasmania.” Ms O’Byrne said.
“Since 2006, the State Government has invested an additional $16 million under the Tourism Promotion Plan and an extra $3 million a year until 2010 for tourism marketing and development.
“These initiatives complement the estimated $11 million spent each year by Tourism Tasmania on marketing the State, and has helped deliver record visitation to our shores, generating almost $1.5 billion for our economy last year.
“It is important that our industry remains relevant in a fast-paced and dynamic tourism marketplace.
“Tourism Tasmania’s Tas e-Connect online distribution initiative will continue to be a key focus for the year ahead, with around $100,000 being provided to support the continued rollout of the new technology,” Ms O’Byrne said.
“Tas e-Connect is about creating more opportunities for people to buy Tasmanian tourism products and experiences online, at anytime and in real time through new open booking technology.
“This technology is integral in helping Tasmania’s tourism operators to be able to offer their products and experiences to consumers through a broad range of online distributors, and ensures that what they are selling can be seen and bought by more consumers in real time.
“As part of this initiative, Tourism Tasmania will continue its Tas e-Connect industry learning and development program to provide the tourism industry with the knowledge and skills they need to take advantage of the rapidly growing online market,” Ms O’Byrne said.
“Because more people of all ages are now going online to plan and book a holiday, being online and e-commerce enabled is good for our consumers and our tourism operators.”
As a result, a more integrated approach to digital marketing will be another priority for Tourism Tasmania this year.
Ms O’Byrne said around $500,000 will be provided to support Tourism Tasmania’s Digital Marketing Strategy and improve the State’s tourism website discovertasmania.com.
“The Digital Marketing strategy will look at the deployment of Tourism Tasmania’s online assets in a way that will achieve the best possible business benefits for the State’s tourism industry.
“These assets include websites, digital audio and video content, rich internet applications, online ‘community’ groups, banner advertisements and search engine marketing,”.
Ms O’Byrne also said around $900,000 will be provided to support marketing partnerships with the five new marketing zones and our key air and sea carriers – Jetstar, Tiger Airways, Virgin Blue and Spirit of Tasmania.
“These marketing partnerships are a very important part of Tourism Tasmania’s strategies to promote the special and unique characteristics of our different regions, as well as the range of options available for people to get to and from the State.
Initiatives like these will help to put us in the best possible position to continue the State’s strong tourism growth.”