I’m heading to Los Angeles this weekend to meet with tourism and travel representatives from across Australia and hear about wonderful things to see and do. I’m very excited about this, as I’ve come to dearly love the beauty and people of The Land Down Under, which is home to scintillating cities, amazing nature, rich aboriginal culture, isolated islands and more than a few bizarre animals. Here’s a look at 10 of my fave experiences in Australia, a country I’ve been lucky enough to visit four times over the years. LORD HOWE ISLAND, New South Wales Only the most nerdy Read more
Uluru
A new era has launched for Porter Airlines, and for Canadian travellers. Toronto-based Porter on Wednesday (Feb. 1) began flying jets for the first time as part of a massive expansion effort that threatens to shake up the industry. Porter on Wednesday flew its new Embraer E195-E2 jets from Toronto Pearson Airport to Montreal Trudeau and Ottawa International, its first ever jet flights. Until this week, Porter had flown exclusively out of the Toronto Island/City Centre Airport using De Havilland propeller planes. Service on the Toronto Pearson-Ottawa route has four daily, non-stop return flights. Porter is offering three daily, non-stop Read more
Australia is open again for business, and Air Canada is an ideal way to get there. Australia has long been a top destination for Canadians dreaming of fantastic scenery, sunny skies, indigenous travel experiences, and amazing culture. The borders were pretty much closed for two years, but international visitors began to be welcomed again in late February. Air Canada has daily flights from Vancouver to Sydney on posh, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. They’ll add direct flights from YVR to Brisbane starting July 1. (Air Canada also will resume flights from Vancouver to Auckland, New Zealand in November of this year.) Vic Read more
Australia is open for international visitors, and Canadians are chomping at the bit. Canadian consumers recognize that Australia did a good job handling COVID-19, and that there’s a “huge demand” for visits amongst Canadian travelleres, Chris Allison, the North America acting general manager for Tourism Australia, said at a Tourism Australia “Australia On Tour” event in downtown Toronto on Tuesday. A study in December found that Canadian interest in visiting Australia was back to pre-pandemic levels. Tim Liu, Managing Director, Sales Planning & Effectiveness at Air Canada, said Air Canada recognizes the increased interest and is responding with more flights. Read more
By Jim Byers Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) After nearly two years of closed borders and virtually no tourism, Australia is flinging open the doors to visitors on Monday, Feb. 21. It’s a momentous occasion for a country that has always placed a high value on attracting tourists. “There is no doubt that a full recovery will take time, but we are confident that the demand for Australia is strong,” Phillipa Harrison, the managing director of Tourism Australia, the country’s tourism board, told The New York Times. The Times said tourism was one of the fastest growing sectors Read more
