A report in The Courier Mail says that international conference organisers are turning away from Australia, lured by multi-million-dollar marketing campaigns from cashed-up governments in Asia.
Latest research shows the number of international conferences held in Australia dropped 31 per cent over the past six years and in the same period countries including Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong have see the number of delegates skyrocket.
Worldwide growth in conference business has also increased by about 55 per cent over the past 10 years.
The Business Events Council of Australia which represents convention and business sectors in Australia, wants the Federal Government to spend $25 million a year through Tourism Australia to promote the country as a business events destination.
Business tourism is a lucrative sector with event delegates spending on average about six times more a day ($554) than leisure tourists ($94).
According to Federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey, it is not all bad news in the business tourism arena. “The reality is business tourism is up,” Ms Bailey said. “In 2006, business tourists were up 7 per cent to 787,000. For the first half of 2007, business tourists were up 10 per cent to 412,000.”
But BECA chairman Geoff Donaghy said there was irrefutable evidence that the international business events sector in Australia was in serious decline, adding, “We have seen an increasing number of countries out-spending, out-marketing and out-performing in targeting these highly sought after business event attendees.”
He said Singapore has been spending an extra $45 million a year chasing business events and last year earnt $2.6 billion in direct expenditure from the sector, adding, “It was about a third of Singapore’s overall tourism receipts”.
“They have an integrated strategy which is as much a part of economic development as tourism,” he said.
Report by The Mole
