Tourism Australia Uses Food to Drive Luxury Travel Spending

International visitors to Australia spent a record $34.8 billion in the 12 months ending September 30, 2015—up 13% or $4.1 billion—marking the highest jump in total inbound traveler spend since 2001. Visitor spending from the U.S. was up 14%. A significant factor behind that increase was due to Tourism Australia's concerted push toward luxury travel marketing in recent years, which was on full display at the Pure Life Experiences hospitality conference in Marrakech last month. Among all of the countries participating in the buyer/supplier trade show, Australia brought the largest contingent of high-end travel companies, including both hotels and tour operators. Most noticeably, there was an even breadth of geographical locations represented in the western and northern regions, beyond the mainstream Sydney, Melbourne, and Great Barrier Reef corridor. "The product in Australia over the last five years has exploded in terms of premium offerings, and from our customers