by Jim Byers
Last updated: 5:22 PM ET, Mon September 27, 2021
Vaccination rates are skyrocketing. Air Canada plans to resume service from Vancouver in December. And there are new programs for travel advisors.
Tourism Australia is singing an upbeat tune these days, and officials are feeling optimistic about a travel and tourism rebound.
"There's a lot more positivity," Chris Allison, acting general manager North America for Tourism Australia told TravelPulse Canada yesterday. "The tone has really changed."
Allison said Air Canada flights between Vancouver and Sydney will restart in mid-December and that tickets are already on sale.
Still, he said it's not clear when the international border will open. It's likely that Australia will open first for travel from state to state, and then perhaps for international students. A re-start of the Australia-New Zealand travel bubble also is a priority.
Allison said a broader re-opening may not occur until sometime in 2022.
"We'll likely open in phases," he said. "Outbound travel will likely open before inbound."
Despite the pandemic, Tourism Australia has stayed active with the trade, Allison told TravelPulse Canada.
"We've maintained our presence in our 15 core markets, including the U.S. and Canada. We've worked with our partners and advisors to keep them educated on what's on offer, and we've invested heavily in new tools."
Tourism Australia recently relaunched its Aussie Specialist Program. They've made it easier for travel advisors to use, and also narrowed things in so an agent can, for example, zero in on luxury travel or adventure opportunities.
There's also a community of Aussie Specialists, so once an advisor has their credentials they can exchange information with other specialists. There's also a Tourism Australia Facebook page.
The Australia 365 platform also is new.
"It's kind of a virtual trade show," Allison explained. "You can access more than 2,000 experts and get information on them and meet with them."
The new "always on" platform provides the global distribution partners and Aussie Specialists the opportunity to share, train, update and connect throughout the year.
Yet another new opportunity for advisors is the Australia Global Summit, which will be held November 16 and will help agents who perhaps haven't looked at booking Australia for a while.
Allison said there appears to be a great deal of pent-up demand for Australia
"We're seeing a lot of research, and looking at other destinations that have opened," he said. "It appears wholesale and tourism operators are chomping at the bit."
Australia also is seen as a safe and secure country that has worked hard to defeat COVID-19, he added.
Allison said 76.1% of Australians 16 and over have received at least one dose of vaccine, while 51.8% have two doses.
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