Australia News
Industry needs to fight �bad apples�
The Federal Government has called on the tourism industry to report unethical and illegal activities in a bid to stamp them out.
Tourism Minister Fran Bailey said “a few bad apples” were threatening the future of the industry.
“We have to maintain Australia’s reputation as a quality tourism destination,” Ms Bailey said.
“Government and industry need to work together to ensure we stamp out unethical and illegal activities which, if unabated, will harm the Australian tourism industry. From Industry needs to fight ‘bad apples’
Date: March 19th, 2005 | No Comments
OzJet doesn't want pricing war
The owner of Australia’s newest domestic airline said he did not want to get into a price war with the “big boys”, especially the notoriously aggressive Qantas.
Paul Stoddart, the Melbourne expatriate who owns Italy’s Minardi Formula One racing team, said Ozjet was seeking a small share of the market by filling in a gap left in the business travel sector.
“We are offering something that I don’t think is a threat to our competitors,” Mr Stoddart told a media conference at a private terminal at Sydney Airport.
“I see us as someone that can work alongside all of the players in the …
Date: March 17th, 2005 | No Comments
Air NZ Steps up the Food
Air New Zealand today announced the appointment of a star chef from one of Los Angeles� premier restaurants as the airline�s new menu consultant on flights originating from the United States to New Zealand. Govind Armstrong, executive chef and partner of the trendy Table 8 Restaurant, will lend his creative talent and vast knowledge of New Zealand cuisine to help develop a completely new menu for Air New Zealand�s Business Premier Class and Pacific Premium Economy Class travelers. The new menu options are expected to become available this summer, coinciding with the unveiling of Air New Zealand�s highly anticipated, new long-haul service. Article continues below…
Date: March 15th, 2005 | No Comments
Down Under travel tips 'nonsense'
TRAVEL websites designed to teach people about Australian culture are fraught with out-of-date guidelines, according to a Queensland etiquette expert.
Tips such as “eating with your hands is perfectly acceptable” and “men may not always treat women as equals” are just a couple of the lessons tourists are learning online. From Down Under travel tips ‘nonsense’
Hmmm….Australia Guide is pretty good, I think….
Date: March 9th, 2005 | No Comments
Wake-up call on state tourism
THE Federal Government has warned Queensland will be priced out of the tourism market unless it embraces labour market reform.
Federal Tourism Minister Ian Macfarlane yesterday said the industry � worth $6.3 billion to Queensland’s economy � needed to improve its competitiveness, particularly against cheap Asian destinations.
“It is important that tourism is not restricted by out-of-date labour market reforms,” he said. “If we just sit back and say, well it is done, we will wake up in two or three years and find no tourists coming.” From Wake-up call on state tourism
Date: March 6th, 2005 | No Comments
Qantas Holidays launches back to Thailand campaign
Qantas Holidays launched a Rediscover Thailand campaign in conjunction with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Head of Qantas Holidays, Simon Bernardi, said Thailand had always been one of the most popular destinations for Qantas Holidays customers and urged Australian travellers to get behind the post-tsunami tourism recovery drive.
“Thailand is dear to our heart and we hope our new marketing campaign, developed in conjunction with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, will help the country’s vital tourism industry get back on its feet,” Mr Bemardi said. From Qantas Holidays launches back to Thailand campaign
Date: March 18th, 2005 | No Comments
Patrick wars with Virgin
RICHARD Branson’s Virgin Group yesterday said it does not intend to sell any of its 25.1 per cent stake in low cost carrier Virgin Blue, rejecting a $1.90 per share bid from Patrick Corp.
In doing so it sparked a war of words from Patrick’s Chris Corrigan, who got himself into trouble with the stock exchange over his put down of merchant banker Grant Samuel’s valuation of the airline.
“Virgin Group does not intend to sell under the current offer and urges all Virgin Blue shareholders to take note of the advice given in the Virgin Blue target statement which values the …
Date: March 16th, 2005 | No Comments
Indonesia to reopen Australia tourist office
Strong growth in business and holiday travel to Indonesia will see the republic reopen its tourist office in Sydney this year as Garuda Indonesia expands its Australian flight capacity by around 20 per cent.
The deputy minister of marketing for the country�s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Udin Saifuddin, said Indonesia attracted a total of 420,000 business and private visitors from Australia in 2004.
Overall visitor arrivals exceeded five million last year and tourism became the second largest earner after energy (oil and gas). From Indonesia to reopen Australia tourist office
Date: March 11th, 2005 | No Comments
Talks cleared for Australia-Europe liberalisation
Australia will begin talks with the European nations aimed at liberalisation of aviation services between the two continents.
Federal Transport Minister John Anderson said Australia would negotiate directly with the UK and other European nations for additional access by Australian carriers to major European markets. From Talks cleared for Australia-Europe liberalisation
Date: March 9th, 2005 | No Comments
Beyond the Hippie Trail
India may still be a rite of passage for the backpacker. But it can also be done in style, as Max Suich and Jennie Sorrell discovered.
Now that Qantas has introduced a new service between Australia and Mumbai, the relative economy of a visit to India - and the new standards of comfort in hotels and travel - will soon become better known.
For the many Australians who have never been there, the biggest hurdle now is to negotiate the advice of those tedious Old India Hands who went there as backpackers or on the hippie trail and who, for reasons of …
Date: March 3rd, 2005 | No Comments