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26-12-2015, 05:28 PM
Tourism industry gets a festive boost
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[/url][url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/tourism-industry-gets-a-festive-boost/news-story/9f2b874e895cbddfebefecf0498f15db#]
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Corporate Australia is winding down for the year, but with tourism hitting its annual peak over the festive season it is a revenue-boosting period for the likes of The Star Sydney, airlines and major airports.
December is traditionally Australia’s peak tourism inbound month and on average contributes about 12 per cent of arrivals for the calendar year.
It has already been a strong start to the season for Sydney Airport, which clocked its busiest ever day on Saturday, December 19, with more than 50,000 passengers passing through Terminal 1.
Qantas also rates December as one of its busiest months and this year it will carry more than 2.2 million customers around the globe and across the country during the Christmas period, which is not only a boom for international tourists, but also domestic.
Domestic tourists are driving demand at The Star Entertainment Group’s Sydney complex and 4000kg of prawns, 25,000 oysters, 850kg of strawberries, 3500 bottles of champagne and 175kg of Wagyu beef will keep the local punters jolly as they ring in the New Year.
At The Star’s signature complex in Sydney, December is its peak period and during the month visitation at the integrated resort tracks about 15 per cent above normal monthly figures.
The complex has about 4200 staff across the business and on peak days over this period 3000 of them will be rostered on.
Greg Hawkins, managing director of The Star Sydney, said about 90 per cent of visitors over this period were domestic tourists and the 625 hotel rooms on offer were full during December.
He said there is a spread of demand across gaming, hotels and the 11 restaurants and 13 bars. Over the period, gaming revenue will be about 10-15 per cent higher and restaurant revenues 20 per cent higher than non-peak months.
Mr Hawkins said the bulk of the monthly increase was in the second half of December and New Year’s Eve was the peak 24-hour period with about 54,000 people heading through the doors of The Star complex as 2015 comes to an end.
For Australia, arrivals from markets like Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Britain, continental Europe and North America typically peak in December.
Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan said December was traditionally the country’s strongest month for international visitor arrivals.
“Particularly from traditional European markets such as the UK for whom Australia’s near perfect weather at this time of year proves irresistible as they look to escape the doom and gloom of a northern hemisphere winter,” he said.
“Although we won’t see the final numbers officially published for a few weeks, most of our commercial partners are reporting strong bookings. It should be a great round-off to what has been an exceptional year for Australian tourism, with record arrival numbers and also spending.”
Sydney Airport’s busiest day ever recorded on December 19 passed the previous record clocked on January 3 this year, when 49,500 passengers passed through Terminal 1.
The airport expects a significant number of passengers through its terminals over the Christmas period and in early January. About 150,000 people a day, including staff and people meeting and greeting passengers, usually pass through the airport during this time.
A Qantas spokeswoman said Australians loved to take an extended holiday in December and January with many this year using the extra time to travel overseas for a white Christmas in the US and Canada. She said others had also opted to enjoy a beachside retreat in Bali or Phuket or chase adventure and visit family and friends in New Zealand.
“We have also seen a growing number of families spending their holiday time within Australia with travel continuing beyond the New Year period,” she said.
“The Gold Coast, Hobart, Darwin and Byron Bay are set for the biggest increases in visitors compared to last year.”
- THE AUSTRALIAN
- DECEMBER 26, 2015 12:00AM
- Sarah-Jane Tasker
[Image: sarah_jane_tasker.png]
Reporter
Sydney
https://plus.google.com/109975179297660562731
[Image: 3c195ab176ca7fed3921bb1181b96355?width=650]
Greg Hawkins, managing director of The Star Sydney, says the 625 hotel rooms on offer were full during December. Picture: Renee Nowytarger
[Image: 3c195ab176ca7fed3921bb1181b96355?width=650]
Greg Hawkins, managing director of The Star Sydney, says the 625 hotel rooms on offer were full during December. Picture: Renee Nowytarger
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[/url][url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/tourism-industry-gets-a-festive-boost/news-story/9f2b874e895cbddfebefecf0498f15db#]
[*]
Corporate Australia is winding down for the year, but with tourism hitting its annual peak over the festive season it is a revenue-boosting period for the likes of The Star Sydney, airlines and major airports.
December is traditionally Australia’s peak tourism inbound month and on average contributes about 12 per cent of arrivals for the calendar year.
It has already been a strong start to the season for Sydney Airport, which clocked its busiest ever day on Saturday, December 19, with more than 50,000 passengers passing through Terminal 1.
Qantas also rates December as one of its busiest months and this year it will carry more than 2.2 million customers around the globe and across the country during the Christmas period, which is not only a boom for international tourists, but also domestic.
Domestic tourists are driving demand at The Star Entertainment Group’s Sydney complex and 4000kg of prawns, 25,000 oysters, 850kg of strawberries, 3500 bottles of champagne and 175kg of Wagyu beef will keep the local punters jolly as they ring in the New Year.
At The Star’s signature complex in Sydney, December is its peak period and during the month visitation at the integrated resort tracks about 15 per cent above normal monthly figures.
The complex has about 4200 staff across the business and on peak days over this period 3000 of them will be rostered on.
Greg Hawkins, managing director of The Star Sydney, said about 90 per cent of visitors over this period were domestic tourists and the 625 hotel rooms on offer were full during December.
He said there is a spread of demand across gaming, hotels and the 11 restaurants and 13 bars. Over the period, gaming revenue will be about 10-15 per cent higher and restaurant revenues 20 per cent higher than non-peak months.
Mr Hawkins said the bulk of the monthly increase was in the second half of December and New Year’s Eve was the peak 24-hour period with about 54,000 people heading through the doors of The Star complex as 2015 comes to an end.
For Australia, arrivals from markets like Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Britain, continental Europe and North America typically peak in December.
Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan said December was traditionally the country’s strongest month for international visitor arrivals.
“Particularly from traditional European markets such as the UK for whom Australia’s near perfect weather at this time of year proves irresistible as they look to escape the doom and gloom of a northern hemisphere winter,” he said.
“Although we won’t see the final numbers officially published for a few weeks, most of our commercial partners are reporting strong bookings. It should be a great round-off to what has been an exceptional year for Australian tourism, with record arrival numbers and also spending.”
Sydney Airport’s busiest day ever recorded on December 19 passed the previous record clocked on January 3 this year, when 49,500 passengers passed through Terminal 1.
The airport expects a significant number of passengers through its terminals over the Christmas period and in early January. About 150,000 people a day, including staff and people meeting and greeting passengers, usually pass through the airport during this time.
A Qantas spokeswoman said Australians loved to take an extended holiday in December and January with many this year using the extra time to travel overseas for a white Christmas in the US and Canada. She said others had also opted to enjoy a beachside retreat in Bali or Phuket or chase adventure and visit family and friends in New Zealand.
“We have also seen a growing number of families spending their holiday time within Australia with travel continuing beyond the New Year period,” she said.
“The Gold Coast, Hobart, Darwin and Byron Bay are set for the biggest increases in visitors compared to last year.”