Smart Travel is Safe Travel

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has launched the newest phase of the Australian Government's Smartraveller campaign.

The new initiatives, which put Australia at the leading edge of consular services around the world, are targeted at making smarter travel easier for Australians.

Mr Rudd relaunched the Smartraveller website - a cleaner, clearer, more intuitive and easier to navigate site that will link to social media platforms and embedded videos.

Mr Rudd also unveiled the Smartraveller web app, "It's vital that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's consular services are as effective and accessible to as many Australians as possible," Mr Rudd said.

"This app makes it easier for travellers to access key Smartraveller services anywhere in the world, including updated travel advisories.

"We are working hard to adapt to the changing needs of travelling Australians - at any one time, we have about one million Australians abroad.

"This Government will always make the safety and security of Australians its highest priority, but unfortunately, things can - and do - go wrong."

Mr Rudd encouraged travellers to be prepared before they headed off for their summer holidays by registering their travel plans, reading and subscribing to travel advice and alerts, and taking out appropriate insurance before leaving the country.

www.smartraveller.gov.au

Smart Travel is Safe Travel

Government Plans to Lift Ban on Liquid Restrictions

Next year international travellers will be able to travel with their favourite bottle of perfume or alcoholic beverage, under a new security plan being implemented at Australian International airports.

The federal government has announced the “easing of restrictions” as Australia's international airports begin introducing new explosive detection equipment, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Currently, around 8000 items including water bottles are confiscated at Sydney Airport security checkpoints per month and 1250 duty free items such as alcohol and perfumes.

The new detection equipment has been tested at Sydney airport allows authorities to detect the smallest sign of explosives in liquids.

Federal Transport Minister said Anthony Albanese said the relaxing of restrictions will undoubtedly be welcomed by travellers.

"It will make air travel easier and less stressful for passengers as well as free airport security staff to better focus on their core screening responsibilities without the distraction of having to confiscate items from people's bags," Mr Albanese said.

"While preventing acts of terrorism remains our number one priority, we're also determined to minimise the disruption and inconvenience experienced by passengers as they transit throughout major airports, including by deploying the latest technologies, He added.

The ban on carrying liquids on international flights was introduced globally after UK police blocked a terror plot which involved detonating liquid explosives on trans-Atlantic flights in 2006.

Government Plans to Lift Ban on Liquid Restrictions

Visits to Australia Defy Strong Dollar and Keep Building

The strong Australian dollar has failed to scare off visitors and they keep heading to Australia.

That’s the message from Australian Bureau of Statistics data for September, released yesterday, which shows that short-term arrivals are matching the same month last year. They are close to the all-time record set last October.

Comparing Septembers over the past decade, you can track the trend arrivals building:

Sept 01 403,600
Sept 02 405,100
Sept 03 425,000
Sept 04 439,500
Sept 05 458,900
Sept 06 462,500
Sept 07 471,700
Sept 08 454,700
Sept 09 466,300
Sept 10 500,200
Sept 11 500,600

For the year to September, the ABS trend series shows 5,898,400 visitor arrivals, up 87,600 on the previous year and quite healthy. That’s despite a dollar riding high against most major currencies in the world, making Australia a more expensive place to visit, comparatively, than it was last year.

ABS trend estimates for arrivals show that short-term visitor arrivals during September 2011 (500,600 movements) increased 1.1% compared with August 2011 (495,400 movements). This followed monthly increases of 1.0% in July 2011 and 1.1% in August 2011. The current trend estimate for arrivals is 0.1% higher than in September 2010.

When trend estimates for short-term visitor arrivals for September 2010 and September 2011 were compared, the highest percentage increase was recorded for China (22.9%). The highest percentage decrease was recorded for Japan (16.3%) followed by the US (10.6%).

When seasonally adjusted, short-term visitor arrivals (481,500 movements) recorded a decrease of 4.1% compared with August 2011 (501,900 movements). This followed monthly increases of 2.5% in July 2011 and 2.7% in August 2011. ABS original estimates: There were 432,200 short-term visitor arrivals to Australia in September 2011.

ABS trend estimates for departures show that short-term resident departures during September 2011 (665,100 movements) increased 0.3% compared with August 2011 (663,100 movements). This followed monthly increases of 0.8% in July 2011 and 0.5% in August 2011. The current trend estimate for departures is 10.2% higher than in September 2010.

When seasonally adjusted, estimates for September 2011 show short-term resident departures (663,500 movements) increasing by 0.3% compared with August 2011 (661,500 movements). This followed monthly increases of 3.2% in July 2011 and 0.3% in August 2011. ABS original estimates: There were 790,600 short-term resident departures from Australia during September 2011.

The figures indicate that travel is healthy in both directions.

New Zealand remains Australia’s biggest source of tourists and biggest tourist destination. New Zealand held that position on the arrivals front (trend estimates) in September, followed by (in order) Britain, China, USA and Japan.

Following New Zealand on the departures front in September on the same basis were (in order): USA, Britain, Indonesia and Thailand.

Visits to Australia Defy Strong Dollar and Keep Building

Aussies Warned to be Wary of Xmas Scammers

Flights too cheap to be true? Then they are probably fake.

Aussies have been warned to be cautious of online bookings over the Christmas period as scammers set up fake websites offering cheap flight deals.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s SCAMwatch website has issued a statement advising that online scammers have the potential to not only distribute invalid travel documents but are also capable of stealing a travellers well-earned cash as well as their identity.

Utilizing the look and ABN of a legitimate travel website, travellers have lost in excess of up to $1,000 on fake international flights.

"It's all bad for these poor scam victims,” MyCRA national credit repairer Graham Doessel said.

“At best they can be left with no holiday - but at worst fraudsters can take their personal details and use them to construct a fake identity which would allow them to borrow in their name - the ramifications of that can last for years.”

With the Attorney General’s office revealing that one in six Aussies having their identity stolen or misused in some way, MyCRA recommends travellers looking for a cheap vacations do research on the company and confirm the URL is correct for the company before sending any credit card details through.

Online bookers have also been advised to avoid any unsolicited emails, take an extra five minutes to research the company and always go with your instinct if a flight seems to cheap then it probably is fake.

"If someone suspects fraud, their credit file could show changes, which if detected early, would prevent their good name from being ruined,” Mr Doessel added.

“If there are any unusual credit enquiries, or some attempt to alter personal contact details this should be a red flag.

“People should alert creditors to prevent their credit rating from being ruined and protect their ability to obtain credit in the future.”

(Source: etravelblackboard.com)

Worldwide Television Coverage for Perth 2011

More than 25 international and national broadcasters have signed up to take television coverage of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships next month.

The championships will be televised in more than 60 countries. Live coverage in Australia will be featured on the Ten Network and its high definition channel, One.

The Perth 2011 broadcasts will include the latest developments in animated tracking and graphics to show the positions of boats on the water as well as 3-D graphics that will complement the live television coverage.

Spectators in Fremantle will have the ability to watch the medal races close to shore in Bathers Bay or to follow the racing on more distant courses on the large screen located at the Worlds Village in Fremantle's Esplanade Park, complete with explanatory graphics and commentary.

Tennis Stars Coming to Perth for Hopman Cup

Tennis fans are in for a star studded treat at this summer's Hyundai Hopman Cup XXIV, with one of the best fields ever assembled in the tournament's 24-year history. Caroline Wozniacki, who has held the number one ranking for the past year, is coming to Perth for the first time, along with three of the top seven ranked women players and two of the top 10 men.

The line-up also includes three Grand Slam event winners such as Petra Kvitova, Li Na and Lleyton Hewitt, as well as some of the rising stars of tennis. The tournament will be held from December 31, 2011 to January 7, 2012 at the Burswood Dome. The State Government, through Eventscorp, is a founding sponsor of the Hopman Cup and last year put in place a new four-year sponsorship agreement until 2014.

(Source: Talking Tourism, WA Tourism)

Perth to Welcome Inaugural China Southern Flight Next Week

A range of activities have been planned in preparation for China Southern's inaugural flight from Guangzhou to Perth. Due to arrive on November 9, the inaugural flight will be celebrated with various media functions, trade training and touring activities.

The Tourism Council WA is also hosting an industry luncheon with the Chairman of China Southern on November 10, 2011 from 11am to 1pm at the Royal Perth Yacht Club. For more details click here.

Tourism WA has been working closely with China Southern Airlines and Tourism Australia to develop a $2.5 million marketing campaign to raise consumer awareness of WA in China. The campaign started in September and involves press and radio, outdoor advertising in key public areas and airports, bus wraps at the Shanghai and Guangzhou airports, media posters, online marketing, direct marketing and in-flight advertising on China Southern flights.

(Source: Talking Tourism, Tourism WA)