London in February is a bit on the chilly side. But London is great to visit at any time of year. That’s why over one million Australians visit Britain every year, spending £1 billion. This amount has doubled over the past decade. A significant number are travelling to visit friends and relatives, but others are attracted by British culture, history and beautiful countryside.
Many are returning to relive, in more comfort, the experiences they had as backpackers in their younger day. With the strong Aussie dollar, Britain seems cheaper than it has for many years. My Australian friends are constantly telling me about the bargains they’ve found in London shops and restaurants and the fun they’ve had travelling round to other parts of the UK.
I was back in London for a series of meetings, including a call on Hugh Robertson MP, Minister for Sport and Tourism, who will be visiting Australia later this year, when promoting tourism will be a key part of his agenda.
His ministry is responsible for Visit Britain, our national tourism promotion agency. Their Australian office moved into our Consulate General in Sydney a few months ago. Sharing premises brings cost savings, but it also means improved synergies as we work together to promote the UK economy.
Of course we can’t rest on our laurels. We need to grow Australian tourist numbers by 40% to contribute our share of the UK national target of 40 million visitors by 2020. And as Australian demographics continue to evolve, there will be a smaller proportion of the population with family ties to Britain.
So we are working with Visit Britain to improve Australian awareness of the wide range of UK offerings, including in the English regions and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Joint activities like the GREAT campaign, building on our wonderful 2012 of Jubilee, Olympics and Paralympics, can prove highly effective and we will be looking for further opportunities in the year ahead.