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Tuesday, 22 November 2011 08:45 |
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Four Great Reasons to Travel to Australia Now
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| November 2011: With news that the “staycation” is dead (read more) and Australia is the ‘Best Country to Visit Worldwide’ (read more) come four compelling reasons to travel to Australia sooner rather than later. |
• Explore Tasmania with Qantas Holidays from £1,525 including flights (read more)
• See South Australia with Travelbag from £1,269 (read more)
• See Australia’s ‘Chef of the Year’ at Hamilton Island’s Great Barrier Feast (read more)
• 20% Early Bird Discounts Available on The Southern Spirit (read more)
QANTAS HOLIDAYS (020 8222 9124; www.qantasholidays.co.uk) is offering a six-night Explore Tasmania itinerary, valid for travel 16 April - 20 June 2012. From £1,525 per person, including flights to Hobart (via Melbourne), car hire and accommodation.
In addition, QANTAS HOLIDAYS IS A WINNER AT THE BRITISH TRAVEL AWARDS - Qantas Holidays has taken the top slot at the British Travel Awards (BTA) for the second year running after being named ‘Best Tour Operator to Australasia’. The awards, voted for by the British public, are recognised as the most definitive and largest monitor of public opinion on travel and tourism industry performance. More than 700,000 votes were cast this year, three times more than last year.
BTA's Chief Executive, Lorraine Barnes-Burton, said: "The British public has cast an incredible number of votes for their favourite travel companies making the British Travel Awards without doubt the largest independent consumer-voted awards scheme in the UK. The winning accolades are the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really is the best in the business of travel for the UK consumer."
This is the third time that Qantas Holidays has won the award, which was also given to the specialist operator in 2005 and 2010.
 SOUTH AUSTRALIA – Travelbag (www.travelbag.co.uk Tel 0871 485 0017) has a six-day South Australia Discovery tour from £1,269 per person. This price includes five nights accommodation split between Adelaide, Kangaroo Island and Glenelg, Avis car rental, and international Cathay Pacific flights. For more information on South Australia (www.southaustralia.com).
 HAMILTON ISLAND – See Australia’s ‘Chef of the Year’, Dan Hunter, who will be guest chef at this year’s final Hamilton Island Great Barrier Feast food and wine event on Friday 2nd – Sunday 4th December.( www.hamiltonisland.com.au/feast)
Bridge & Wickers (www.bridgeandwickers.co.uk 020 7483 6555) has a 10 night package from £3,172 per person. This price includes seven nights on Hamilton Island at the 5-star Beach Club Hotel, three nights in Sydney including private airport transfers, international and regional flights. A supplement of £535 per person applies to join in the Great Barrier Reef Feast dinners and activities and master classes are an additional £80 per person.
 SOUTHERN SPIRIT – Due to popular demand, Great Southern Rail (www.greatsouthernrail.com.au) has announced eight new departures between February and June 2012 and early bird discounts of 20% for its newest great Australian train journey, The Southern Spirit, which winds its way through four states and across 2,810kms in six days.
This once in a lifetime rail journey has an early bird booking incentive of 20% off the new departure dates, if booked by 24th December 2011. This discount, valid for departures from 11th February to 10th June 2012, is priced from AUD$4,100 (approx £2,535) per person, based on twin share, for the five day Brisbane to Melbourne service that departs on 18th February 2012. This price includes Gold Service cabin, full board rail journey and exclusive Whistle Stop Tours at key locations and points of interest along the way.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
THE BRITISH TRAVEL AWARDS: Companies were nominated by travel industry professionals before being voted for by over 700,000 members of the British public, including readers of News International publications, listeners of London’s Biggest Conversation (LBC Radio 97.3) and readers of the British Travel Awards magazine.
Australia has been awarded the “Best Country to Visit Worldwide” award in this year’s British Travel Awards. The award, decided by nominations from travel industry professionals and then a public vote by over 700,000 Britons, has seen Australia finish ahead of European destinations Spain and Italy.
“The UK is one of Australia’s most established and largest source markets for international visitors, and it is terrific to see that Australia hasn’t lost any of its lustre with the Brits,” said Andrew McEvoy MD, Tourism Australia. McEvoy said while economic factors had affected the short term demand for Australia out of the UK, the longer term outlook was for continued growth.
The UK remains an important source of visitors to Australia, delivering 632,400 visitors in 2010/11, and is the second largest market for visitor spends, worth USD 3 billion. As a critical market to delivering the targets for Australian tourism growth, outlined in the 2020 Tourism Industry Potential, the UK has the potential to deliver USD 6.7 billion in overnight expenditure by 2020.
SACK THE STAYCATION – BRITS STILL WANT A FOREIGN HOLIDAY: Despite the deepening recession a massive 88 per cent* of UK holidaymakers will be heading to foreign shores on their next holiday, according to research by members-only travel club Voyage Privé.
Contrary to reports that more Brits are holidaying at home, only 12 per cent of those questioned said they would be staying in the UK for their next holiday. The remainder are hoping to head further afield.
* Based on a survey of 20,430 Voyage Privé members in the UK. |
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