Thursday, November 20, 2008

WYD visitors in modest boost to tourism

The number of tourists to Australia in World Youth Day month, July 2008, jumped by 47,000 compared with the same month last year, figures show.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports the NSW Government is hailing World Youth Day as a success for tourism and the economy.

But doubts have also been raised about the economic windfall delivered to the state from the event, which the Government claims cost $86 million to stage.

Before World Youth Day, which ran from Tuesday July 15 to Sunday July 20, organisers had forecast that 125,000 overseas visitors and 200,000 domestic visitors would come to Sydney.

But four months after the event, the latest snapshot shows the number of participants fell short of forecasts by 15,000 for overseas pilgrims and more than 80,000 for domestic visitors.

The Tourism Australia figures suggest that tens of thousands of tourists may have been discouraged from travelling to Sydney because of the perceived disruption caused by the event, the Herald says.

In July, some 47,000 more tourists travelled to Australia than in the same month last year.

Taking into account the 110,000 international visitors who came specifically for the event, according to the Government minister overseeing World Youth Day, Kristina Keneally, that still leaves 63,000 potential visitors who stayed away.

Australian Retailers Association director, Michael Lonie, said that trade was not as badly affected as it was over the APEC weekend last year, but neither was there an uplift in sales from pilgrims.

"They had a very tight schedule and they simply didn't have time to shop," he said.

However, Tourism Australia says a survey of 4,000 pilgrims showed the event had done its job of marketing Australia to an audience that might return in the future.

Nearly 80 percent had not been to Australia before and a similar percentage stayed beyond the five days of celebration. But only 21 percent stayed in paid accommodation.

The managing director of Tourism Australia, Geoff Buckley, said: "After making a connection with our country early in their lives, it's our hope pilgrims will feel drawn to return in the future, perhaps on a working holiday visa, a backpacking trip, on their honeymoon or later in life with families of their own, having connected with Australia's people, land and lifestyle during their visit."

Ms Keneally said: "The joy it brought to our city during the event had a positive effect on everyone, making the city all the more beautiful."
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(Source: CATH)