Tourists are increasingly accessing the internet whilst they’re on holiday Down Under, new data from Tourism Research Australia reveals.
Between 2013 and 2014, tourist internet use rose by 13 per cent, with the majority choosing to access it via their smartphones (43 per cent). A further 34 per cent used a tablet device to get online, reports yahoo.com. The popularity of the internet with overseas visitors highlights how increasingly important Wi-Fi is the drive to attract more tourists.
Some 83 per cent of visitors accessed the internet in order to view maps and 44 per cent did so to get more information regarding destinations and attractions on offer. Another 37 per cent went online to look at restaurant guides, whilst 16 per cent required the internet to help with language translations, reports eturbonews.com.
The data also showed that tourism is on the up in Australia, which could only increase the need for Wi-Fi access further. Evan Hall, Tourism Council chief executive, said Western Australia (WA) is a particularly popular destination with visitors from Singapore.
“The introduction of new flights by low-cost carrier Scoot and lower hotel rates in Perth is driving the increase in visitors from Singapore,” he explained. “As hotel rates come down, WA is becoming more competitive for leisure tourists so it is critical for the state government to invest in marketing WA and its extraordinary experiences.”
