Despite overcast skies and a dip in temperature yesterday the mood at the Canadian Tourism Commission’s end of the year travel industry get together was decidedly upbeat.
While the networking event held in the Orbit Bar Lounge of Australia Square was predominantly a thank you to industry partners it was also the lofty stage for the Australian premiere of the new ‘brand Canada’ advertising campaign that starts nationwide from January 15, said Allison Brennan, Media & Communications Executive, Canadian Tourism Commission.
The year long “Keep Exploring” campaign will target trade and consumer markets using both newspapers and magazines. It’s the most intensive campaign for Canada to be undertaken in Australia for many years, she said.
Pictured right: “Not all great wine comes from Australia”, said Peta McWilliam, Manager, Marketing Services, holding a bottle of British Columbia Okanagan Valley Chardonnay at the Canadian Tourism Commission’s Christmas Party for the Sydney travel industry and media in the Orbit Bar Lounge of Australia Square last night”.
Ms Brennan said the advertising campaign focuses on experiences that Australians enjoy from fine dining to soft adventure.
The news regarding Australian traffic into Canada is all good with 163,000 arrivals to the end of September. She projects the number may top 200,000 by the end of December.
“The figure is consistently up year after year,” she said.
Air capacity out of Australia is substantial with the new Qantas seasonal service driving more business our way, she said.
We are also getting traffic into Canada with the Hawaiian/Harmony service plus flights operated by Air Canada, United, Cathay, Air Pacific and Air New Zealand, she added.
We are looking forward to 2007 as Canada is going to really promote throughout the year. We even plan to undertake promotions with non traditional partners, she said.
Exclusive Report by Thomas E. King, TravelMole’s Travel & Lifestyle Correspondent
