Australia launches 10-year tourism strategy

Dhaka: Tourism Australia has unveiled a new 10-year strategy aimed at strengthening the country's global tourism competitiveness and increasing spending by high-value international visitors by 2035.

The Tourism 2035 strategy sets a target of raising overnight expenditure by high-yield international travelers to between AUD 61 billion and AUD 69 billion over the next decade, building on the AUD 57 billion generated by international visitors in the past year.

As part of the plan, Tourism Australia will prioritize four key areas during the next three years: adapting destination marketing for AI-powered search and travel planning, promoting the country's diverse tourism experiences, capitalizing on major global events including the Olympic Games, and positioning Australia as a leading destination for luxury nature-based tourism.

The strategy also outlines 10 global trends expected to reshape the tourism industry, including intensifying competition for premium travelers, rising outbound demand from Asian markets, changing booking habits, geopolitical, and climate-related challenges, as well as growing interest in sustainable travel.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Robin Mack said the strategy is designed to attract more high-value visitors through stronger partnerships, technology, and targeted marketing.

According to the agency, international tourism currently supports more than 720,000 jobs and over 360,000 tourism businesses across Australia, underlining the sector's importance to the national economy.