Greetings from Sydney where I’m attending the 2014 Australian Youth Travel Conference, organised by the Backpacker Youth Tourism Advisory Panel (BYTAP), part of the Australian Tourism Export Council.

In fact, I’m humbled and rather excited to be saying that I’m not just attending the conference, I’ve been invited to open the conference as its youngest-ever keynote speaker. BYTAP, in reflection of the wider youth travel industry in Australia has chosen this year to consider how far the industry has come and also to consider where the industry’s heading next. Few countries in the world have had as much experience and knowledge of the youth market as Australia and yet the youth travel industry there will have to confront some major shifts in origins and interests of its younger visitors in the years to come.

As the country faces significant growth in youth arrivals from the emerging markets and is now competing in a fiercely competitive global marketplace for dynamic, savvy (and often affluent) Gen C travellers, Australia’s budget accommodation providers, tour operators, adventure sports companies and more are keen to keep up with these trends. It’s my task to help them consider where they might go next, by speaking from the point of view of someone living in Generation C – the connected generation. In the coming days I really look forward to listening to delegates’ own experiences in adapting to these changes.

I’ve also been invited to speak on behalf of the Pacific Asia Travel Association about the new report The Rise of the Young Asian Traveller, due out this month, to discuss how different outbound markets in Asia view Australia as a tourism destination and to discuss what moves the industry is making to attract travellers from the region, another area where I look forward to listening to delegates reflections on results of our consumer research.

Wednesday 21 May 2014

Keynote address:

Is the Australian youth travel industry ready for the ‘Gen C Traveller’?

“You’ve heard of Generation X, Generation Y and possibly even Generation Z.  So who on earth falls under the category of ‘Gen C’?  Gen C is a powerful new force in consumer culture.  Gen C is Connected, Communicating, Content-centric, and community –orientated, and always clicking.  Generation C is the next generation of visitors to your destination and consumers of your tourism product.

Today’s young travellers are growing up in an age that’s very different from when the first backpackers started to tour Australia, yet the country still exudes an appeal that draws young travellers from far and wide. As Australia starts to see a shift in its major inbound youth markets while racing to satisfy the needs and desires of this new ‘Generation C’, Peter will explore from his ‘outsider’s’ point of view, what all this means for the Australian youth travel industry of today and tomorrow.”

The Rise of the Young Asian Traveller 

“Outbound travel from Asia is expected to see continued growth for years to come and there is no doubt the surge of travel out of this region will be lead by young, technically savvy, well educated and cashed up consumers.  Australia has embarked on the ‘Asian century’, but how much do we know about the eager travellers on our doorstep?  This is your opportunity to hear from a panel of specialists who will present the findings of two unique studies which were recently finalised.”

 

Look out for updates this week from the conference from @Atectoday and @Genctraveller or check out the conference programme for more: