Chapter 326: The Rise of the Tourism Industry
Although more than a month has passed since the Olympics concluded, officials in Australasia were astonished to find that the number of foreign tourists traveling between all regions of Australasia has not decreased. In fact, over time, the number has even increased.
From the end of July, after the Olympics concluded, to the end of August, over a month, Australasia's customs registered more than 30,000 European tourists.
This means that there are now hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists staying in Australasia. Even though some of this increase can be attributed to the efforts of the publicity departments, the growing number of tourists has certainly caught the attention of the Australasian government.
It is important to understand that, at present, intercontinental travel remains a very luxurious journey for most civilians. The most luxurious suites on ships crossing the Atlantic can cost hundreds of pounds during peak tourist seasons. Even the most ordinary cabins on cruise ships during peak seasons can cost over fifty pounds, making it unaffordable for the average person.
The exorbitant costs of travel have made tourists less abundant in this era. Only a few, such as the middle class in parts of Europe, along with the aristocracy and capitalists, can afford such expensive tickets to travel around the world.
Of course, besides ships, a new form of travel has emerged: airships. But for the European middle class, airships are still a distant dream. The price of an airship ticket remains over one thousand pounds, a sum more than twenty times the average income of a British person, making it an unimaginable cost for the vast majority of Europeans and the middle class.
Based on the current per capita income in major European and American countries, the average income in the United States is 346 dollars (about 69.2 pounds, 138.4 AUD). In comparison, the United Kingdom's per capita income is only 244 dollars (about 48.8 pounds, 97.6 AUD), Germany's is 184 dollars (about 36.8 pounds, 73.6 AUD), France's is 153 dollars (30.6 pounds, 61.2 AUD), and Italy's is 108 dollars (about 21.6 pounds, 43.2 AUD).
Compared to these European countries, Australasia's per capita income has already surpassed Italy's. However, it still lags far behind the older European powers and the United States. As of now, Australasia's per capita income is about 49.7 AUD, which is approximately 24.85 pounds or 124.25 dollars.
In terms of comprehensive strength, Australasia ranks just below the UK, Germany, the US, France, Russia, and Austria, and is on par with countries like Italy and island nations in terms of power.
Currently, the prevailing view in Europe is to consider Australasia as the eighth great power. Meanwhile, the island nations, having lost British support, are recognized as the most militarily powerful nation after the top eight.
This is largely influenced by European racialism. Theoretically speaking, Australasia's overall strength might not be on par with the island nations, but since Australasia is a completely white Western nation, European media and countries do not mind giving it face, directly recognizing Australasia as the eighth great power while ignoring the island nations.
After all, the island nations are far away from Europe, and no matter how unwilling they may be, Europeans are not concerned with their feelings.
It is because Australasia's status as a great power has gradually been recognized by European countries and media, combined with the publicity during the Olympics and the global popularity of its maritime travel, that in recent times, Australasia has become an attractive destination for immigrants and tourists, rivaling the United States.
Additionally, with Australasia's films gradually being shown in Europe, European citizens have come to recognize the various beautiful sights Australasia has to offer.
One of these is the Gold Coast of Australasia, a tourist destination that was supposed to be gradually discovered and visited only in the coming decades.
Of course, this coast now has a brand new name: the Australasia Gold Coast.
The Australasia Gold Coast (Gold Coast, Australasia) is located on the eastern coastline of Australasia, a 42-kilometer stretch consisting of several beautiful beaches. The beach became famous when Arthur, along with Queen Mary and William, Anna, enjoyed their time on the beach during Australasia's summer (in December). The newspapers reported on this joyful event, and soon, people flocked to the beach to experience the same place where the royal family once vacationed. This transformed the beach into a popular tourist attraction.
The Royal Film Studio, capitalizing on the name, made a promotional film about Australasia's tourism and titled it "Gold Coast," which further popularized the beach in Europe, attracting numerous European tourists.
Unfortunately, it is now three months away from Australasia's winter. The tourists who arrived before the Olympics will not have the chance to witness the beauty of the Gold Coast during this time.
Australasia's territory covers almost the entirety of Oceania, and many Europeans and people from Australasia have become accustomed to calling Oceania "Australia."
To assert Australasia's dominance in Oceania, Arthur would not oppose this trend. In fact, some Australasian newspapers, when printing news from Oceania, often replace "Oceania" with "Australasia."
This brings us to the term "Australasia" and its claimed region.
The French scholar Brossier originally proposed the concept, and "Australasia" is literally translated as "South of Asia." This means that all lands south of Asia are considered part of Australasia.
Geographically and politically, Australasia encompasses almost all of Oceania, except for some islands occupied by the great powers.
As the only independent country in Oceania, Australasia is almost universally accepted as synonymous with Oceania. Even Britain, Germany, and France, who hold colonies in Oceania, have not challenged Australasia's claims, which has led to the gradual replacement of "Oceania" with "Australasia" in European newspapers, a term increasingly accepted by the European public.
Australasia's growing per capita income, which is now comparable to most European countries, has also led many Europeans to view it as a prime destination, second only to the United States.
Moreover, Australasia is a fully white nation, and its political system is more easily accepted by immigrants from European monarchies. Additionally, since Australasia is far removed from Europe, there are no immediate concerns about potential wars in Europe, which further cements its position as the second-best immigration destination after the US.
The influx of immigrants and foreign tourists has made Sydney, a city with a population of over a million, even more crowded.
With the influx of tourists, Sydney seems to have become a city as prosperous as any in Europe. Its busy streets and numerous shops give the city a distinctly modern vibe.
It must be acknowledged that the changes brought about by industry and technology are immense. Western countries, having benefitted from colonial exploitation, have firmly established themselves as global leaders in industry and technology.
Arthur often finds himself lost in thought when gazing at the streets of Sydney, as the city's current state is something that Eastern nations will not experience until after a century.
Products that scream modernity, such as cola, automobiles, bicycles, and traffic lights, were already common in pre-WWI Europe.
Sydney has even seen the birth of taxi companies and profitable parking lots to meet the increasing demand for cars and parking.
The Benz automobile factory has grown to an enormous size. The headquarters in Australasia alone employs over 10,000 workers and produces more than 100,000 cars annually.
In the more than nine years since the Benz cars were first released, the combined sales from various Benz factories are expected to exceed 4 million cars by 1914.
Even as of the end of August 1912, more than 3.16 million Benz cars had been sold in the past nine years, capturing over 90% of the global automobile market.
Currently, the price of a Benz car has dropped to 120 pounds, but the profit per car is still above 50 pounds. Considering the revenue from high-priced cars earlier, the gross profit for over three million Benz cars is nearly 200 million pounds.
Of course, after accounting for the shares of the UK and German branches, as well as taxes and other expenses in various countries, the royal consortium's total revenue is 107 million pounds.
The average annual income amounts to just over ten million pounds, but this income is very stable, and it is unlikely to see a significant decline for at least the next ten years.
It's worth noting that the historical T-model Ford car set a record with 15 million sales.
Although Benz's cars were launched five years earlier than the T-model, their initial price was much lower and has continuously improved.
Arthur is confident that Benz will surpass the T-model's record and create a new sales milestone for Australasia's automotive industry.
More importantly, as the car market is still in its infancy, whoever can capture a larger share of the market will have more advantage when future car models are updated.
At this moment, with nearly 90% of the world's car market in its grasp, Benz undoubtedly stands as the undisputed global automotive giant.
If it can maintain this advantage, the vast automobile market will bring endless wealth to the Benz factory and the royal consortium.
Arthur alone, thanks to the Benz factory, could even claim the title of the wealthiest king in the world.
When the royal consortium is factored in, the wealth is beyond measure.
(End of Chapter)
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