Qantas, Tourism Australia enter “new era” of cooperation

Qantas and Tourism Australia have signed a AU$20 million (US$15.2m) deal to promote Australia to the world, in a move that is said to mark a “new era of partnership” between the two organisations.

This deal marks the first major cooperation between Australia’s national carrier and tourism board since 2012, when a dispute caused Qantas to sever ties with Tourism Australia and instead work only with Australia’s state tourism boards.

There have been signs that the relationship has been warming over recent months however, with the two organisations teaming up on smaller projects such as safety videos, but this marks the first major joint investment since the suspension of a AU$50m deal almost four years ago.

“Both Qantas and Tourism Australia want the same thing – a strong tourism industry that makes Australia the first choice for people all over the world. With tourism both to and within Australia on the rise, it’s the ideal time for us to join forces once again,” said Qantas’ group CEO, Alan Joyce. “This new investment builds on the marketing we already do and our partnerships with state and territory governments to put Australia’s best foot forward.

“Qantas has always been the biggest private sector supporter of Australian tourism and we will continue to focus on growing visitor numbers,” he added.

Tourism Australia’s managing director, John O’Sullivan, said that the partnership “just makes sense”.

“The shared resources this agreement brings together are considerable and we’re very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead to grow international inbound traffic and increase regional dispersal,” O’Sullivan said.

“The plans we have around data sharing are particularly exciting, allowing us to be more efficient and effective with our advertising but also enabling us to provide consumers with a much more relevant and personalised online experience.”

The three-year agreement involves a joint investment from Qantas and Tourism Australia to attract more international visitors to Australia, with a focus on the US, Asia, UK and Europe. Both parties will invest in joint marketing campaigns and participate in a data sharing arrangement to target customers considering travelling to Australia.