A new strategy aimed at tapping into the future tourism potential of India has been unveiled today at the Australia Tourism Exchange (ATE) in Perth. 

The India 2020 Strategic Plan, developed by Tourism Australia in consultation with industry and Government stakeholders, is seeking to secure a greater share of the 50 million Indians expected to travel overseas by 2020. 

The Plan, unveiled by the Minister for Tourism, the Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP, identifies the main opportunities and sets out the approach required to build Australia’s appeal and to win future market share. 

It is the latest initiative formed under the whole of government and industry sustainable growth strategy, Tourism 2020. 

India is currently Australia’s 10th most valuable inbound tourism market, with 148,000 visitors spending A$867 million in 2011. One of the world's fastest growing outbound travel markets, India could rise in annual value to up to A$2.3 billion by 2020 and deliver 300,000 annual visitors. 

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said the India 2020 Strategic Plan, followed the successful roll out last year of a China 2020 Strategy, but taking a much different approach. 

Mr McEvoy said the Plan would harness new research, increased resources including a doubling of marketing spend by Tourism Australia in India in 2013FY and adopt a targeted approach. 

"India is a market of strong future potential for Australian tourism given this nation's rapid rise through this Asian Century," Mr McEvoy said. 

"Tourism Australia understands both the potential and location of the desired, future Indian visitor to Australia, yet we also acknowledge this is a unique and complex market, that is becoming increasingly competitive and which needs a clear, strategic approach to build a platform for any substantive future success by our industry. 

“With today over 70 national tourism organisations active in India, the time is right for Tourism Australia to invest more to both maintain our presence and enable our industry to better leverage a future competitive advantage.” 

Four areas are addressed to develop Australia’s share of outbound travel from India by year 2020:

• Choosing the right target customer – thinking about the important visitors to build the market out to 2020
• A clear geographic strategy to focus resources – focused on where there is the greatest concentration of affluent households – initially Delhi and Mumbai
• Building a sustainable, competitive aviation market between Australia and India
• Developing quality experiences that competitively differentiate Australia, and an aligned distribution strategy. 

The major cities of Delhi and Mumbai, and the affluent middle class travellers within them, will be Tourism Australia's primary consumer marketing and distribution targets to sustainably grow Indian visitation to Australia.

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