Government launches Australian Tourism Booking widget

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Created on Monday, 22 July 2013 16:21

Written by Editorial staff

The government has launched an Australian Tourism Booking widget to help those working in the tourism industry reach consumers through digital channels.

Gary Gray, minister for tourism, launched the online booking system at the Cradle Coast Regional Tourism Forum on Friday (July 19).

All migration agents in Australia are sure to welcome this widget, as it will no doubt encourage many more people to pay a visit to our shores.

It is a simple tool that enables tourism operators to provide real-time booking and payment solutions to consumers through their websites or Facebook pages.

This should allow such operators to convert potentially interested visitors into bookers - something Mr Gray said is one of the industry's biggest challenges.

"This widget aims to fix this by getting more of our tourism operators online for bookings and payments - and help them grow their businesses, particularly in regional areas where online facilities may be the only channel for operators to directly engage with their customers," he said.

Mr Gray also hopes the program will encourage tourism operators to experiment with more high-tech booking and payment systems as Australia heads into the future.

Over 50 per cent of people around the world research, plan and book their holidays using online channels. The Australian government expects this to grow significantly throughout the next decade.

Approximately 84 per cent of Australia's tourism operators are currently online, revealed Mr Gray, but a much smaller percentage - about 30 per cent - have real-time booking and payment facilities available on their websites.

The Australian Tourism Booking widget should help to change all that, making the transition to offering online services as easy as possible for members of the industry.

Also in attendance at the Cradle Coast Regional Tourism Forum was Sid Sidebottom, the parliamentary secretary for agriculture, fisheries and forestry.

He was excited about the positive impact this widget could have on tourism in north-west Australia, as well as Tasmania.

"Anything that helps our tourist operators promote the region and attract visitors is to be welcomed," said Mr Sidebottom.

Tourism is hugely important in these areas, and indeed all of Australia, injecting billions of dollars into the economy each and every year.

Australian migration agents can play their part by informing their clients about this widget, as well as 600 (visitor) visas and the other immigration visas available to get them over here.