Read Part 1 of 'Tourism Australia takes "very active" approach to India'
Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said it was the first time Tourism Australia had undertaken comprehensive consumer research into its target Indian consumer living outside of Mumbai and Delhi – by including the cities of Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
McEvoy said including some of India's more important secondary cities in the research had highlighted similarities but also some interesting differences. For example, Delhiites are more likely to design and book their own holiday; while the ease and comfort of a package holiday was considered more appealing for respondents from Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.
Tourism Australia will share the findings and insights from the research with industry and governments in Australia and India to help drive targeted marketing communications, and inform the development of products and experiences most likely to drive further demand amongst Indians for Australia.
The research - undertaken by research consultancy Ipsos Social Research Institute (Ipsos) - was conducted in two stages using both qualitative focus groups and in-depth, quantitative interviews, and was based on a targeted sample of 2,054 Indian leisure travellers.
It also included interviews with travel sellers in India, who provided feedback that Australia's visa application process has become easier for Indian travellers but pointed out the need to continue to innovate, create and communicate new reasons to travel to Australia.
Hannah Race, research manager at Ipsos Social Research Institute believes the research highlights the potential outside the traditional target cities of Mumbai and Delhi, and presents opportunities to raise awareness of specific locations and attractions in Australia.
"The research revealed the high status and importance of overseas travel to Indians in all six of the cities included. Australia certainly has a 'wow' factor for this market, with its natural environment being among the strongest attractions. There is now an opportunity to further build on these positive perceptions by raising awareness of specific destinations and activities on offer to visitors to Australia."
The India 2020 Strategic Plan was developed to maximise India's tourism potential and to set the foundation for the future, when long haul leisure travel becomes more common. Launched in June 2012, it was developed by Tourism Australia in collaboration with industry and government stakeholders. It is a key deliverable of the industry's broader Tourism 2020 strategy, recognising India's role in driving tourism growth in this 'Asian Century'.
