MySpace tourism campaign will boost industry

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15 October, 2008

An online campaign by the NSW Government using social networking tool MySpace to target the youth travel market in the United States is a vote of confidence in the Australian inbound tourism industry, according to a peak export tourism industry body.

ATEC Managing Director Matt Hingerty said that this campaign was an excellent example of the export tourism sector becoming more aggressive and working to minimise the effects of the current global financial crisis on the industry.

Mr Hingerty said that that ATEC’s Backpacker Tourism Advisory Panel would work to support the campaign and leverage its effect overseas.

“We cannot afford to sit idly back and watch the global stock market meltdown engulf our export markets without a fight,” Mr Hingerty said.

“It is vital that we not only look to minimise the fallout from the Wall Street crash but that we work to turn these current economic circumstances around to work in favour of the inbound tourism industry.”

“With jobs potentially being shed all around the world, the graduate recruitment market may not be looking too flash in the next twelve months. We need to be getting the message out into the college campuses and school around the US that now is the perfect time for a working holiday in Australia,” Mr Hingerty said.

Mr Hingerty said the youth travel market was already worth billions in exports to Australia every year, and that there was an opportunity to build on this in the months and years ahead.

“Tourism NSW’s new campaign is a great idea at the right time.The ‘gap year’ is already big in Europe – we need to promote it more in the US. We already have the Working and Holiday Visa – let’s leverage it,” Mr Hingerty said.

“BTAP will work hard to support this new MySpace tourism campaign and boost inbound numbers from overseas.”

More information on the new campaign can be found at www.myspace.com/mysydney

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Contact: Nick Buchan              
National Media and Communications Manager
Ph: 02 8262 5501
Email: nick.buchan@atec.net.au