More Canadians are visiting Australia than ever, and Tourism Australia touched down in Toronto last week to say thank you.
Karen Fitzgerald, General Manager, Experiences, Tourism Australia, said the downtown meeting was an opportunity to connect with Canadian travel advisors and to make sure they’re aware of the country’s luxury travel experiences.
Fitzgerald took time to introduce agents and Aussie specialists to the Signature Experiences of Australia program, a Tourism Australia initiative with seven marketing collectives that offer unique experiences for the luxury traveller.
Elise Parker of Walk Into Luxury Tours shows off Injidup Beach in the Margaret River region of Western Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Together the seven marketing collectives represent 176 operators across Australia and offer more 800 experiences.
“Australian luxury is about extraordinary landscapes and unique, exclusive experiences that are brought to life and given deeper meaning by expert guides and local characters,” Tourism Australia officials said. “We offer a sense of privilege of place and genuine connection. Importantly, much of Australia’s luxury is underpinned by sustainability and a positive impact on the environment, economy and community of the destination.
“All the Signature Experiences partners work closely with inbound tour operators and destination management companies.”
“Australia loves Canadians and we can’t wait to welcome your clients,” advisors were told.
Tourism Australia said nearly 15,000 Canadians visited the Land Down Under in 2025. That’s an increase of five per cent from 2024, and represents 102% of 2019 visitation figures.
There also were 19% more seats available on flights from Canada to Australia in January of this year, compared to 2025.
An aboriginal guide at Uluru. Photo Courtesy Australia Tourism.
The weather can be rather different, but TA noted that Australia and Canada are both Commonwealth countries that share similar values and also a love of the great outdoors.
The event was kindly sponsored by Air Canada, which gave away a pair of tickets to Australia.
Yours truly has had the pleasure of sampling wine in several parts of Australia, most recently the Margaret River region in Western Australia. It’s truly exceptional. On that same trip I got to take part in a small section of the Cape to Cape Walk in WA, which is one of the Great Walks of Australia.
I’ve also had aboriginal tours and experiences in Perth, Margaret River, Uluru and Sydney, and I’ve stayed at Longitude 131, a fabulous hotel near Uluru that’s part of the Luxury Lodges of Australia collection.
