What’s Next for Australia? Moving Forward
A few weeks can seem like a lifetime when the world is moving so quickly and new international stories displace old ones every 24 hours. Stories of the Australian bushfires can seem to have happened ages ago, but it’s necessary to focus on what’s important in the news whirlwind that circulates across social media these days. At Goway, we’ve focused on the Australian bushfires and doing all we can to support recovery and help people explore the vast majority of the country, which remains unaffected by the fires.
However, in the midst of the hectic response to the bushfires and all the other news stories crowding it out on the global stage, it’s easy to lose the thread of what’s specifically happening in Australia. To this end, we thought it appropriate to update you on what’s currently happening with the bushfires so you can share this information with your clients and make sure you’re abreast of any developments affecting travel downunder.
Kangaroo Island has reopened
Kangaroo Island is once again open for business. All the major tour operators have modified their itineraries and are operating tours daily, which is great news for the community and the country as a whole. The fires on the island have officially been listed as “contained,” which means that recovery can begin and with it, new growth. In fact, you can already see signs of new life across the island, which is very encouraging. You can check out these recent photos of Kangaroo Island from Craig Wickham of Exceptional Kangaroo Island to see how wildlife have resumed their normal, fascinating lives in the aftermath of the bushfires.
Tourism Australia has a new map
Tourism Australia has been keeping us all up-to-date with their travel alerts on affected parts of the country. What is even more helpful than this updated list of travel advisories is the new map of regions of Australia that uses green icons to show which parts of the country are currently unaffected, which is the vast majority! It’s encouraging to see that so many beloved sights in Australia remain open for travellers, both international and domestic, to explore.
Australia has a new marketing campaign
Tourism Australia has launched a new campaign to help Australia in the aftermath of the bushfires. They have received $20 million for a marketing campaign to encourage Australians to travel across the country domestically. Tourism Australia has also received $25 million to boost international marketing campaigns to attract visitors from across the world and $9.5 million to host international media so they can see firsthand that most of the country remains unaffected. These campaigns will make sure that local operators get the help they need during this time. Keep on the lookout for promotions to Australia that are sure to be announced in the coming months.
Upcoming initiatives and renewed interest
Australian travel operators are hard at work on initiatives to encourage international travellers to visit Australia and help assist in the recovery. The details of these initiatives are still being ironed out, but you can read the initial statement and be on the lookout for more details in the future. As well, our destination specialists at Goway and agent partners are seeing an increased interest in travelling to Australia, which is encouraging news for the whole industry. Call now and together we can plan an unforgettable vacation to Australia.
Goway will continue to support recovery from the bushfires in partnership with Tourism Cares, which “unites the travel and tourism industry to benefit the people and places our industry depends on.” For every person heading to Australia with Goway between January 1 and March 31, and for every person booking future travel to Australia during this same time period, Goway is donating $10 to Tourism Cares’ Destination Disaster Recovery Fund.
It’s the perfect time to support Australia through travel. Let’s help the country move forward together.
