TOURISM Australia and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, have deepened their strategic marketing partnership with a significant increase in joint funding for the promotion of tourism to Australia in overseas markets.
Under the new arrangements, Tourism Australia and Etihad Airways will quadruple their spend in the 2014/15 season for what will become their strongest ever push to promote Australia to international leisure and business travellers. This doubles the total value of the original three-year, A$6 million ($5.2 million) marketing agreement signed in December 2013 to A$12 million ($10.5 million). This additional funding covers a range of joint marketing activities including support for Tourism Australia’s Restaurant Australia campaign, its international media hosting program, Australian Tourism Exchange, and targeted business events in the UK and Europe. One of the first initiatives funded under the expanded agreement was the recent UK launch of Tourism Australia’s Restaurant Australia campaign, where Australia House in London was transformed into an Australian-themed ‘pop up’ restaurant. A major broadcast initiative, to air in the UK in early 2015, is also being planned by the partners.Tourism Australia managing director, John O’Sullivan, pointed to the airline’s recent Perth launch and decision to deploy one of its first Airbus A380 aircraft between Abu Dhabi and Sydney as evidence of the airline’s continued expansion plans and commitment to the Australian market.“Etihad Airways may be relatively young but is growing very quickly, with aggressive expansion plans which include Australia, where the airline already enjoys a strong presence. We very much look forward to extending this positive and mutually beneficial working relationship,” O’Sullivan says.