Speaking with travelBulletin following a recent trade tour of Australia, Basque Tour Director, Daniel Solana, said that increased air connectivity was one of key drivers of a reinvigorated push in Australia.
“It is undeniable that good air connectivity to attract visitors from distant markets such as Australia is fundamental and strategic for any destination,” Solana explained.
“Therefore, having this connection brings us closer to this market and allows us to address promotion and support marketing in it.
“Flight operations started on 01 March, with three weekly frequencies from Melbourne, so it is still too early to talk about an increase, but we are convinced that the number of Australians will grow significantly,” he added.
While Australia is only a small market for Euskadi Basque Country, recent figures show that it is growing rapidly off a low base and represents a key source of future growth.
“We are convinced that the number of Australians will grow significantly,” Solana said, adding Australians travelling to Spain and countries like Italy and France will be targeted to bolt on Euskadi Basque as an extra leg – especially since Aussies like to travel for longer.
“The percentage share of this market of total entries is 0.7%, and it ranks 27th in the overall ranking of markets to the Basque Country. But we expect to exceed these figures in 2024 as the growth prospects for the Australian market in the Basque Country are good, among other reasons, due to the improvement in air connectivity.”
Another encouraging sign for the Australian market is our propensity to travel for longer, Solana believes.
“We are working on attracting Australians with promotional actions, both at the destination and with reverse actions here in the Euskadi Basque Country,” he said.
“In February, we toured Australia (Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney), meeting with more than 288 Australian agents.
“They mostly specialise in “high-end” travel and members of Virtuoso, and we also did interviews with the Australian press, sending newsletters, etc.
“In July, we will attend ILTM APAC in Singapore, where we will meet again with new Australian agents attending the fair and strengthen ties with the contacts made in February, and we will also organise various famil and press trips throughout this year and the coming years.”
Solana’s recent tour of Australia also included a strong promotion of the ‘Basque Country Confidential’, which brings together the most exclusive and unique tourist experiences on offer in the European destination.
“They are a carefully selected collection of more than 80 companies from all over the Basque territory composed of accommodation, restaurants, shops, tourist experiences, cultural and museum resources, transportation, among other tourist services.
“The collection is aimed at satisfying the needs of an increasingly demanding traveller, who are seeking more personalised services and wants to enjoy the destination by conducting exclusive activities that make them feel unique and special.
While on the service Euskadi Basque Country looks perfectly suited to luxury and premium leisure experiences, Solana explained, the destination has a wider appeal than just the top end of town.
“We also want to attract other profiles that, while not premium, are interested in discovering other cultures, landscapes, and lesser-known destinations,” he said.
“However, the premium traveller is very interesting for us because they demand unique and more selective experiences, which means that the average spending per person is much higher than that of other types of travellers. This helps us in our sustainability and competitiveness strategy and this also obliges us to continuously improve our offer to adapt it to a traveller who is increasingly demanding.”
Attractions in Basque include less crowded spaces, premium pintxo dining experiences (similar to tapas) in Bilbao, mountain
and ocean landscapes, and much more.
