I’ve been lucky enough to visit Australia three times. I had a month there in 2000 for the Sydney Olympics, then went back in 2010 for the Toronto Star and then to an Australia Tourism Exchange meeting in Brisbane. I haven’t been everywhere, not by a long shot. But I’ve been visited Sydney, Melbourne, Uluru (formerly Ayer’s Rock), Brisbane/Gold Coast, The Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island, King’s Canyon, and remote Lord Howe Island. Here’s a mix of some of my photos along with others from Unsplash, to help cover off places I haven’t yet visited.
Australia/New Zealand/PAC
It’s hard to predict what 2022 will look like for travellers, but here’s a look at some potentially hot destinations for the year ahead. AUSTRALIA There’s going to be tons of pent-up demand for trips Down Under if the world can get past Omicron, and avoid the next variant. In Queensland, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel will allow visitors to learn about conservation efforts and the local ecological system from indigenous guides. The Tasman, Marriott’s first Luxury Collection Property in Australia opened last week (Dec. 15) in Hobart. It’s the first big hotel in Read more
Australia held a virtual global tourism summit today (Nov. 16), with tons of great information and tantalizing stories about the country. Canadians still aren’t allowed to visit, but there is a travel bubble with New Zealand, which allows Kiwis to visit without needing to quarantine. They’re hoping to set up an Australia-Singapore bubble soon. There’s no date for when Canadians or Americans can go, but they’re hoping it’s not far away. Given that one in 13 jobs in Australia depend on tourism, there are a lot of reasons for Aussies to want to welcome overseas visitors again. I was lucky Read more
Germany takes the cake, but Canada wins the silver medal. A new Nations Brand Index report from Anholt Ipsos finds Germany ranks in first place out of 60 countries around the world. It’s the seventh time overall and fifth year in a row that Germany has taken top honours. Germany was the highest ranked NBI nation in 2008, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and now in 2021. With another first place ranking this year, Germany has now tied the United States’ record of seven years as the top NBI nation. Germany’s reputational strengths lie on the Exports, Immigration and Read more
Australia has had to close the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria due to COVID-19 fears. Meanwhile, a new carrier has announced it will fly to southern destinations from Quebec, and the hotel business appears to be picking up nicely. My Future of Travel blog for July 7. Australia Closing Some State Borders Australia lovers have been looking longingly at the country’s success in fighting the COVID-19 virus, hoping that perhaps Oz would soon open its borders to so-called safe countries such as Canada. Don’t look now, but there’s been a flare-up in the state of Read more
