After nearly two years of stories about how much Australians wanted to leave and resume their world travels, the story has turned the other way: It seems that the rest of the world can barely wait to go to Australia!
Qantas has revealed that bookings for inbound flights to Australia doubled within one day of the Prime Minister’s border-opening announcement, with the strongest bookings coming from the USA and UK.
Tourism Australia has launched a major campaign internationally to encourage travellers to book their next big holiday to Australia, as borders re-open to all fully vaccinated tourists and other visitors on Monday.
And the government has clarified what the vaccination standards are. While Australians will now have to get three COVID shots to be considered “up to date” (rather than “fully vaccinated”), international visitors will only be required to have had two doses.
Don’t Go Small. Go Australia is a $40 million campaign being rolled out into key markets, including Canada, the USA, UK, Germany, France and Italy. It seeks to remind travellers of the attractions that await them in Australia.
The campaign has launched with tactical out-of-home placements in landmark sites, including London’s Piccadilly Circus and Times Square in New York.
Australian minister for trade, tourism and investment, Dan Tehan, said the new campaign was just the first step in a long-term strategy to restart tourism to Australia. “Further investment in tourism marketing campaigns internationally will take place in the second half of the year,” he said.
The campaign will run across TV, print, digital and social media in key markets and feature some of Australia’s most iconic destinations and experiences, including Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef.
Meanwhile, several airlines are increasing capacity or reinstating services in response to the re-opening. From 16 February, Qantas will return to its Sydney-Dallas/Fort Worth route as flight QF7 and QF8 return, to be operated by its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Emirates will double its capacity on its Dubai-Sydney route, increasing to two return services per day on its Airbus A380 aircraft from 1 March, while British Airways has revealed that it will restart its London to Sydney route on 29 March.
Image: Uluru, one of Australia's most famous landmarks, and sacred to its indigenous people
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