By Rama Gaind.
Life is short and the world is wide, so every opportunity should be taken – in the words of Oscar Wilde – to “Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret.”
Destination travel in Australia knows no bounds. No matter what your preference, Australia has something for everyone: whether it be looking for adventure, inspiration, a luxury escape, beach abandon, indulge the wine connoisseur or spectacular culinary experiences.
There are many destinations to choose from including Kakadu, Great Barrier Reef, Barossa Valley, Port Douglas is an eco-friendly destination, Canberra is a vibrant hub of arts, history, politics and science, Melbourne and then, there’s Sydney and so much more.
An incredible array of events are set for Harbour City. Head to Carriageworks this month for the seventh edition of Sydney Contemporary – Australasia’s largest and most diverse gathering of contemporary art in the region. Explore ambitious and cutting-edge art from emerging and established artists from more than 90 leading galleries. Head to Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick for this year’s Sydney Everest Carnival. Get ready for fun-filled days of thrilling top-class racing, elegant fashion, headline entertainment and the opportunity to witness the world’s richest race on turf and the NRL Grand Final next month.
Tourism yields
Spring in Australia is also a time of year when Tourism Australia is getting ready for the busy summer months ahead, with many of our high-yielding international travellers planning to escape Down Under for [their] winter.
Managing director Phillipa Harrison says: “Encouragingly as we look towards the end of the year, we expect aviation capacity to climb to 92 per cent, and with overseas arrivals at 82 per cent for the month of June, we are still optimistic that visitor spend will recover next year, with international visitation levels expected to return to pre pandemic levels by 2025.”
“That said, the challenges we face internationally such as cost of living pressures, and the increased global competition for tourism spend, are factors we are still keeping a close eye on.”
As the campaign, PR and partnership activities continue to roll out around the world, Tourism Australia has launched ‘Come and Say G’Day’ in Hong Kong to further encourage the return of leisure travellers from the market.
Special program
Next month, Tourism Australia will also have its Aussie Specialist Program educational and familiarisation event, ‘G’Day Australia’ in Cairns/Gimuy, from 9 to 12 October, which will be delivered in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland and with support from Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
This event will see 300 agents who are the frontline sellers around the world experiencing Australia first-hand, and they will also participate in a pre- or post- familiarisation programs throughout Australia.
There’s also a timely reminder about bring conscious of our health and fitness, prioritising our physical and mental wellbeing at all times.
Oh, the places you’ll go when it comes to ‘Work, Travel, Save, Repeat.’ As the Chinese proverb states: “Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”
FACT BOX
Tourism Australia
Destination NSW
PHOTO CAPTIONS
A stunning aerial view of Sydney.
Watch a stunning sunset in the Whitsunday Passage. Photo: Rama Gaind
Being in a tropical state of mind in Queensland.
Photo: Rama Gaind
