A report in the Adelaide Advertiser says that the Naracoorte Caves will form part of a tourism campaign aimed at luring the lucrative but ailing Japanese market, with the $8 million Immerse Yourself in Australia’s World Heritage campaign, launched in Tokyo, Japan, developed by Tourism Australia and focussing on attracting Japanese travellers to Australia.
Japan is Australia’s third-largest tourism market, behind New Zealand and Britain, but statistics show the number of Japanese visitors to Australia fell by 7.8 per cent, from 680,800 to 627,600, in the 12 months to March 2007.
Sixteen of Australia’s 17 World Heritage listed sites, including the Naracoorte Caves, in SA’s South East, will be promoted through the campaign in train stations, newspaper advertisements, special Australia stands, online and in brochures.
Other World Heritage listed sites which will be promoted include Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, Kakadu National Park, Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reef.
The Heard and McDonald Islands will be promoted in consumer booklets but will not feature in advertising as access to the islands is limited to scientific purposes.
Federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey said the campaign would “aim to make Australia a hot and green destination again”.
Ms Bailey believed the tourism decline was due to the appreciation of the Australian dollar against the yen.
Report by The Mole
