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American Express platinum credit cards: AUSTRALIA has formed
a $30 million marketing partnership with American Express
platinum credit cards it hopes will deliver an additional
10,000 high-spending "platinum" travelers in the
first year of the three-year deal.
Federal Tourism Minister Joe Hockey announced the American
Express Platinum credit cards deal yesterday as part of the
Howard Government's industry White Paper. It comes ahead of
next month's unveiling of a new global tourism sales pitch
known as Brand Australia that aims to refresh the country's
image overseas.
Mr Hockey said the American Express platinum credit cards
deal would allow targeted marketing of 750,000 Americans using
American Express platinum credit cards database of US card
users and advertising in a range of publications a well as
selling Australia through Amex's travel agency network.
"The right people will see the right American Express
platinum credit cards ads with 13 separate insertions in seven
titles targeting niche segments ranging from family travel
to golf travel, luxury to deal seekers, and food and wine
lovers to corporate travelers," Mr Hockey said at the
Australian Tourism Export Council symposium on the Gold Coast.
He said research had found that the Americans most likely
to travel to Australia had a household income of $US70,000
($97,000) and had visited Europe three times and Asia once.
Travel from the US to Australia peaked at 488,000 arrivals
in 2000 but numbers had dropped since the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks, slicing about $500 million from tourism
export figures. About 420,000 arrivals were recorded last
year.
ATEC chairman David Mazitelli said the American Express platinum
credit cards deal with Amex would ensure the refreshed Brand
Australia was highly visible in the US.
"Australia is a premium and aspirational long-haul destination
for Americans. This partnership will put our destination directly
into the homes of identified customers who are interested
in traveling overseas," Mr Mazitelli said.
Mr Hockey said the partnership, which would expand to other
countries in its second and third years, and could be repeated
with other financial service companies around the world, was
a result of meetings held with Amex International chairman
Ken Chenault in New York last July.
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