Aussies like us, but not enough to visit

Australians like Canadians only slightly less than they like New Zealanders.

But while they're happy to pay their Kiwi cousins a visit, not enough appear to be going those extra few miles to say "gidday" to a Canuck.

While in no way diminishing the excellent work of the Canadian Tourism Commission, the Aussie market is ripe for the pickings when it comes to the international tourism market.

As the first of the baby boomers move into retirement, there are thousands of cashed-up senior citizens around the nation sitting in their lounge rooms, gazing at old National Geographic Magazine shots of the Rockies with renewed interest.

The Lowy Institute, which conducts an annual survey of Australian attitudes, revealed recently that, when asked to rate their feelings towards 19 countries on a scale of 0-100, Australians put new Zealanders first at 84.

But Canada was second at 82, surprising some and prompting some ponderings on why Australians don't visit Canada perhaps as much as they should, given we clearly believe the country is full of such worthy souls.

New Zealand remains the most popular holiday destination for Australians heading overseas, accounting for one in every six departures.

Indonesia, Asian countries generally and the U.S. are hugely popular and Australians will also jet off to UK and continental European at the drop of a hat.

Canadian Tourism authorities tell us Canada was popular enough to attract nearly 220,000 Australians for at least an overnight stay in 2008, injecting about $355 million Cdn into your economy, or $1,623 a person.

The Canadian Tourism Commission tells us summer is the most popular season for travel among Australians, who normally turn up for a holiday, not business, with many nipping down to the United States as part of their schedule.

"Work is being done to match Canadian travel experiences to the growing interest in free independent travel and fly/drive products,'' the commission says.

"In addition, as more Australian travellers classify themselves as adventurous, Canadians can tap into the growing adventure-travel market.

"Australians are also keen skiers, with many travelling to western Canadian ski resorts.''

Australia is itself renewing efforts to attract visitors with a new advertising blitz harkening back to those old '80s Crocodile Dundee themes, which have worked so well in the past.

The latest television ads carry the slogan "There is nothing like Australia'' and contain a few characters with slightly broader than normal accents and featuring signature attractions such as the giant rock of Central Australia, Uluru.

It follows the widely criticized "Where The Bloody Hell Are You'' campaign, which featured a bikini-clad beauty on a beach asking why on earth people weren't coming over to say gidday.

It didn't escape Australia's notice that ad was banned by regulators in Canada, owing to its promotion of unbranded alcohol consumption, the guilty line being "we've bought you a beer.''

There was also, reportedly, concern in Canada of swear words being used on the promotion, which also ran into trouble in the UK.

Still, the number of Canadian visitors remained stable during 2008/09 with 121,400 visitors.

The Canadian brand is already well established, and not much marketing research would be required to provide the images that trigger Aussie interest.

When Australians think of Canada, the immediate image is unspoiled wilderness, moose, grizzly bear, trains winding through pine-clad Rockies and perhaps a friendly looking red-clad Mountie.

Part of the campaign is already being done:

In April last year, the Sydney Morning Herald polled readers to try to find Australia's favourite destinations and came up with attractions such as the pyramids of Giza, African safaris and Greek Island adventures.

But one reader managed a short piece of prose providing Canada with a few hundred thousand dollars worth of promotion:

"The most beautiful place that I have ever been to is Lake Louise, Canada, in winter. Everything is covered in a thick blanket of beautiful white snow, the lake has frozen over, and you can skate through ice castles the size of a small house.''

You should copyright that.

Michael Madigan is the Winnipeg Free Press correspondent in Australia. He writes for the Brisbane-based Courier Mail.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 4, 2010 A17