AUSTRALIA - Tourism reverses as more check out than in

Theage.com.au, January 21, 2008

FOR the first time in almost 20 years, the number of Australians going overseas for their holidays is poised to overtake the number of foreign tourists coming here, as one market booms and the other stagnates.
Preliminary estimates by the Bureau of Statistics suggest that foreign tourism into Australia stagnated again last year. Tourist numbers totalled 5.65 million, a rise of just 2%, on top of a rise of just 0.6% in 2006.
In sharp contrast, the number of Australians holidaying overseas shot up 11% in the 11 months to November, and has risen more than 60% in the past four years, as fears of terrorism have subsided and the dollar's value has soared.

>>Full article

INDONESIA - Indonesia's Lion Air to Buy 49% of a Brisbane-based Airline

Balidiscovery.com (1/12/2008)

A number of press reports are suggesting that Indonesian Lion Air (PT Lion Mentari Airlines) is eyeing a 49% share in an Australian domestic air carrier as a possible precursor to establishing a feeder network for the establishment of international flights between Indonesia and Australia.Australian press reports say that discussions are at an advanced stage between Lion Air and Brisbane-based Sky Air World.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - AirAsia X and Tourism Queensland sign Cooperative Marketing Agreement

Asiatraveltips.com, 22 November 2007

AirAsia X and Tourism Queensland have signed an agreement to collaborate globally to promote travel on AirAsia X’s international services and to develop international tourism to Queensland, Australia.
Under the Cooperative Marketing Agreement, both parties have agreed to implement activities to promote international tourism to Queensland with the Gold Coast International Airport as the primary gateway, using AirAsia X’s international services. Joint marketing activities will be undertaken in various international markets such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China and other South East Asian markets as deemed appropriate by both parties, to support the Kuala Lumpur to Gold Coast route operated by AirAsia X.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - Aussies looking to cash in on China tourism boom

Malaysia Sun, 18th November, 2007

As China integrates with the global economy, its tourism industry is expected to boom in the next five years. The World Tourism Organisation forecasts that by 2020, China will be one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, overtaking traditional destinations such as France, Spain and the United States.By that time, it is estimated that China will receive 145 million visitors, 33.5 million of which will be foreigners. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has registered a 9.8% increase in the number of Australians travelling to China*, and this number is expected to increase over the next two decades.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - Cruise ships locked out of Brisbane

news.com.au, 31 Oct 2007

"Next week, the 279m superliner Rhapsody of the Seas will call into Brisbane but she's been deemed too long to navigate the river and will be relegated to Fisherman Islands cargo terminal. Her captain is more than happy to bring her up but is being prevented from doing so by government regulations."Yet the harbour master has previously allowed two P&O liners, the 260m Oriana and the 270m Aurora, to berth at Portside."That's what we struggle with in the industry – they've already set a precedent. Legend of the Seas is 264m long and she turned in the river but to this day, the authorities deny that she did that, but we have photographs of her doing it!" says Hunter with exasperation. "She just turned in the river and it took about 10 minutes."

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - Soaring dollar sends tourists elsewhere

smh.com.au, 30 October 2007

IN AN ominous sign for the tourism industry, the growing might of the Australian dollar has pushed foreign travellers towards cheaper destinations, while more Australians are likely to take their relative wealth overseas.
The dollar hovered around US92 cents yesterday, and its even healthier value against the yen is causing equal concern.The Australian Tourism Export Council said local operators must start marketing what was unique about Australia if they were to overcome potential damage caused by the strong dollar.Sydney, a prime destination for most overseas visitors, was "getting a little tired", the council said, while the traditional marketing imagery of tanned lifesavers and sandy beaches may have to be modified to attract richer visitors.

>>Full article

Australia - Brisbane tourists must cut showers

news.com.au, 29 October 2007

TOURISTS will come under pressure to cut their shower time to four minutes while in Brisbane, when level six restrictions come into force next month.
Water Commissioner Elizabeth Nosworthy said water saving messages would be displayed in hotel rooms and bathrooms may even be fitted with shower timers, in response to "public concern" about the lack of advice for tourists. "The messages will offer tips like turning off the tap while shaving or brushing teeth, and encourage visitors to observe the four-minute shower time limit," said Ms Nosworthy.Level six restrictions would be finalised late this month or early next month, before coming into force in mid-November, she said.Ms Nosworthy also told a business breakfast yesterday, south-east Queensland's water crisis was a long way from being over.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - Gold Coast's road to wealth is clear

goldcoast.com.au, 09 Oct 07

THERE was a time, about a decade ago, when the Gold Coast's confidence could be described as tepid. The past 10 years have been the most remarkable in the city's history.
Gold Coast Airport records at least 70 arrivals and departures of large passenger jets a day, compared with about 40 flights a day on smaller aircraft conducted by Ansett and Qantas in 1997.
The volume of traffic on the Gold Coast section of Pacific Highway has increased by about 40,000 vehicles a day since that year.
Tourism bosses are daring to dream about a much larger, busier Gold Coast within a few more years and property analysts are already talking about a time when the city runs out of land available for housing.
Outsiders certainly can see the potential. Budget carrier Tiger Airways plans to provide an extra 1.4 million seats into the Gold Coast by 2010, and other airlines are keen to start up new services that would give the Gold Coast direct access to the seemingly inexhaustible markets of India, China and the Middle East.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - Gold Coast airport expansion

Asia Property Report - September 18 2007

The federal government has approved a $A100 million ($US82.44 million) refurbishment andexpansion of the Gold Coast Airport´s main terminal.Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile said the airport redevelopment would relieve congestion and improve passenger services."The Gold Coast Airport is a key global gateway for tourism, business travel and the shipment of freight to the Pacific Rim," Mr Vaile said."Gold Coast Airport has continued to grow in terms of both its domestic and international airline services resulting in the terminals experiencing some congestion."

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - tourism told eco and indigenous tourism key for foreign visitor growth

eTN, 2-7-2007

A tourism body in Australia is saying Australia should look into eco and indigenous tourism if it wants to increase its foreign visitor traffic.
The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) has said developing indigenous and eco tourism product and experiences are the major keys for the Australian tourism industry to increasing international visitor growth over the next decade. This development comes as the latest Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) figures recently revealed that 8.8 million international visitors were predicted to come to Australia annually by 2016, an average increase of 4.9 percent per year. By comparison, Australians traveling overseas were predicted to increase by an average 5.2 percent to 8.1 million trips.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - Chinese pay $100 to go for a walk at Bondi Beach

smh.com.au, 25-6-2007

TENS of thousands of Chinese tourists to Australia are being fleeced by rip-off travel companies and rogue traders every year, consumer groups have warned.
The situation is so bad that tourist industry officials fear Australia could be damaged as a brand and the massive economic benefits of the boom in travel from China could disappear.
Scams uncovered in Sydney include:

* Charging tourists $100 to walk on Bondi Beach or to have their photograph taken at the Opera House;

* Locking tourists in shops and confiscating passports until they spend big on overpriced goods;

* Unfulfilled promises of luxury central business district accommodation

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - More Aussies head overseas for holidays

eTN, 18-6-2007

Australians took 4.4 million international trips last year, 2.3 percent more than in 2005.
More Australians than ever before are heading overseas for holidays, illustrating the need for the Australian tourism industry to step up its focus on attracting foreign tourists, a peak tourism industry body has said. Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Matthew Hingerty was commenting on the release of Tourism Research Australia’s National Visitor Survey, which reported that Australians took 4.4 million international trips last year, 2.3 percent more than in 2005. By comparison, just over five million international visitors came to Australia in 2006.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - Don’t give up on Japan

eTN, 11-6-2007

Amid the continuing underperformance from Japanese tourists, Australia’s tourism industry should remain committed to this market, the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) said Wednesday.
The ATEC was responding to the latest figures from Tourism Research Australia, which showed that Japanese tourist numbers fell 7.7 percent to 582,000 in the year ended March 2007. The figures also revealed that Japanese visitors’ expenditure in Australia also fell nine percent to just over $1 billion, but on a slightly brighter note, nights were up 3.8 percent to 10.9 million as visitors stayed an average additional two nights.

>>Full article

AVIATION - Jetstar takes Tiger by tail

Herald Sun, May 29, 2007

QANTAS offshoot Jetstarhas fired its first shot for control of the budget travel market by offering a new bonus system to undercut Virgin Blue and soon-to-launch Tiger Airways.The strategy is based on rewarding loyal Jetstar passengers with vouchers which they can use to offset the cost of future travel.
Under the new arrangement, customers can claim double the difference between the cost of competing fares if they are offered an online fare lower than Jetstar's fare.
Both flights must be on the same day and take off within an hour of the other.
The new reward plan is among a raft of major changes aimed at improving Jetstar's 15 per cent share of domestic travel.
The new strategy, which was outlined to the market last week by Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon, also involves plans to add a frequent flyer program to Jetstar services next year.

>>Full article

ACCOMMODATION - Hotel Developments in Australia

ASIA Travel Tips.com, 30 April 2007

The high price of land and spiralling construction costs have helped to keep some developers out of the Australian hotel market in recent years. Across Australia, the number of hotel rooms under construction has decreased to the lowest level since Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels commenced the National Hotel Development Register in 2003.
“New hotel room supply is now expected to increase on average by 1.4% per annum to 2010, based on projects currently under construction or deemed likely to proceed,” said Mr David Gibson CEO Asia Pacific, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - India described as Australia’s star performer in terms of arrivals

eTN, 23-2-2007

India has been described as Australia’s star performer in terms of arrivals, with 83,700 visitors from India for the year ending December 2006, an increase of 23 percent over last year. This development emerged as the Australian Bureau of Statistics disclosed its international visitor arrivals data.
Tourism authorities acknowledged that the number of Indian arrivals to Australia is relatively small but the trend of increase in arrivals was sustained as strong growth was also experienced in 2004 and 2005.
Overall, there were 5.5 million visitor arrivals to Australia in 2006, an increase of one percent relative to 2005.
Tourism Forecasting Council estimates 91,000 visitors from India in the year ending 2007.
Tourism Australia’s focus in India is to continue converting the strong preference to visit Australia into actual intention to visit. The strategy involves promoting a variety of unique Australian experiences to Indian travelers that serve not just as an invitation to visit, but also give them exciting reasons to visit.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - tourism waits for influx from LCC service

eTN Asia/Pacific, 18-1-2007

Tourism Western Australia plans to increase its promotion in Singapore in the coming months to encourage tourists to visit Western Australia following the introduction of the second Singapore-based Tiger Airways flights into Australia via Perth.
Offering up to 70,000 seats a year for its low cost Singapore-Perth flights, the Tiger Airways service starting in March will price its return tickets below A$300, inclusive of taxes and charges.
Initially offering four flights a week, it will be increased to daily flights permanently in November, in addition to special flights during peak holiday periods.
"Seats are now on sale for bookings," said Tiger Airways CEO Tony Davis at the official announcement in Perth. "We are proud to be the only Asian low cost carrier to link Perth with Southeast Asia presently."

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - looks at optimal way of managing visitors from India and China

eTN Asia/Pacific, 12-1-2007

The government in Australia has assured the local and state government bodies regarding capturing and coping with future emerging international tourism markets, offering its commitment to develop the relationship between the three tiers of government in order to adequately handle a predicted influx of tourists from China and India during the next few decades.
The National Tourism Emerging Markets Strategy (NTEMS) group assessed the long-term demand from China and Indian markets, and made recommendations on how best to manage visitors from these regions.
As per the information available, the adopted recommendations focused predominantly on branding, an awareness of travel trends, and a need for more in-depth market research to increase understanding of potential visitor demand from these emerging giants.
As part of the recommendations Australia will soon open its first tourism office in India to seize on opportunities on offer from this key market.

>>Full article

DEVELOPMENTS - Pacific in 2007: THE WINNERS AND LOSERS

Islandsbusiness.com, 9-1-2007

The big trends all have positive and negative potentials and the changes will be seen as good or bad depending on one's point of view. Overall, however, the winnings look to be on the side of foreign interests and the losses to be heaviest among indigenous Pacific Islanders. We assume there are no major calamities this year-and no major windfalls.First, independence will shrink a little further. External involvement in the Pacific Islands is increasing. The big international organisations controlled by the major powers led by USA (World Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Trade Organisation, G8, OECD, etc) are all pushing for changes that will lead to more external control of Pacific Islands governments, economies, commerce and people. More of the big decisions are being made from abroad, though often presented as local decisions.

>>Full article

AUSTRALIA - hopes to address “shonky” tourism

eTN Asia/Pacific, 2-1-2007

A tourism research has revealed that many Asian tourists were unhappy with their experiences on guided tours to Australia, according to the Herald Sun.
While the vast majority of foreign tourists enjoy their stay, the survey revealed some 280,000 a year left with “unhappy” memories of their Australian holiday.
Tourists on guided tours complained they were forced to spend too much time shopping for poor quality goods at highly inflated prices, and that tourists complained they feel ripped-off with the high-pressure tactics.
Complaints by tourists center mostly on poor service, rudeness and dishonesty by front-line service providers. "Bus drivers are the biggest culprits," Tourism Australia said.
Tourists also complained of being charged top rates for poor-quality rooms. "The hostel looked nothing like the pictures on the Internet, or brand new as advertised,” a group of tourists from Ireland complained.

>>Full article