Experience Co flags surge in international bookings, despite flights shortage

Adventure tourism operator Experience Co has flagged a huge jump in international bookings, despite a shortage of flights.

Bamurru Plains, NORTHERN TERRITORY

Fresh from a near doubling of annual revenue to $109m, adventure tourism operator Experience Co has identified an upward trend in international bookings as tourists return despite the slow return of flights.

The skydiving and luxury tourism accommodation operator, said forward bookings, particularly at its Bamurru Plains resort near Kakadu, were running at 80 per cent for the remainder of the season as international tourists, including groups of Texans, clamour for a wild bush luxury experience. Some North Americans are even on a return visit to the African safari like experience at the Top End.

“Forward bookings are very solid for the rest of the season and are up over 80 per cent, we are very happy with that,’’ said Experience Co chief executive John O’Sullivan.

“We think the (recent) expansion is very good … Bamurru Plains gone from 10 to 13 rooms, but the Jabiru suite is something we can charge out at $6100 a night because it’s built for a family group.”

“We invested close to $2.5m during the financial year into Bamurru. Basically we built the new Jabiru suite, and we also did some general works around the pavilions, and upgrading around the pool increasing the deck size.”

Although Mr O’Sullivan has his eye on the international tourism market, particularly the Chinese, he has not lost his appetite for the domestic market which he describes as ‘critical’ saying “the Australian domestic leisure and tourism market underpinned the performance of our adventure experiences and skydiving business units.”

From its skydiving operations Experience Co earns an average of $470 per passenger which includes a skydive and possibly a merchandise or video purchase.

“In skydiving, 40 per cent of bookings were from the international market, but the big market is the China market, but it’s only operating at 4 per cent in Australia. But the big thematic for us is we still have a lot of upside out of the China market.”

“We are now starting to see an increase on the reef out of Cairns, we are seeing 28 per cent of our 2023 financial year customers were from New Zealand and our international Western and Eastern markets.

“In Port Douglas it was closer to 22 per cent of international bookings.”

With Experience Co’s treetop adventure operations it is looking at expanding into four more locations around Australia including states and territories such as ACT, Queensland and Victoria.

“In skydives we are always interested in new drop zones, for us organic growth is really appealing and looking at potentially introducing new experiences and we are just road testing ideas.”

Experience Co booked underlying earnings of $11.3m for the 2023 financial year from a $2.4m loss last year. It slashed its net loss to $500,000 from a $13.6m loss the previous year.

Its shares were up 6.7 per cent to 24c in a higher market on Thursday afternoon.

No dividend was declared.