Canadians to Get a Taste of Australia This Weekend
Canadians will have a chance to immerse themselves in all things Australian when G’Day Vancouver: Australia Week 2008 gets underway this weekend, Tourism Australia Managing Director, Geoff Buckley said today.
“The Australia Week events across the city of Vancouver this weekend offer Canadians the chance to experience different aspects of Australian culture – whether it’s our food, wine, art, film and entertainment,” Mr Buckley said.
“By ‘taste-testing’ Australia we hope that many more Canadians will be more motivated than ever to want to come and experience Australia first-hand.
“Climate is a big factor in driving Canadians’ travel decisions having endured a long cold winter, they’ll be looking forward to some sunshine and time in the outdoors so now is the time to get them thinking about holidaying in Australia,” Mr Buckley said.
Events on the G’Day Vancouver: Australia Week 2008 calendar include: The Australia.com OzFlix Film Weekend; the Macquarie Penfolds Wild Tasmania Gala; an Aussie Travel Expo; the Surf’s Up! Sydney Foam Party: and the launch of a three-month long exhibition - Planet OZ: Walk on Australia’s Wild Side - featuring Australia’s amazing and unique wildlife, at Vancouver’s Science World.
The Aussie Travel Expo on the weekend will assist Canadians wanting to research their next Australian holiday with Australian travel experts and entertainment on-hand to bring them one step closer to booking a trip to Australia.
Mr Buckley said the number of Canadians visiting Australia had been on the rise in recent years, with further opportunities to grow the market on the horizon.
“Last year 115,000 Canadians visited Australia generating $667 million for the Australian economy, with 35 per cent of these visitors coming from the British Columbia region,” Mr Buckley said.
“This year we expect the number of Canadian travellers to rise to by between 5 and 6 per cent to around 120,000 visitors, with each visitor staying around 40 nights in Australia.
“What’s more Canadians are avid travellers who like to get out and explore different parts of the country beyond the gateway cities, which helps to boost tourism in regional areas.
“Over the next three months however more Canadians will visit the Planet Oz exhibition, which kicks off this weekend, than visit Australia in a year. What we want to do is convert some of this interest into actual travel bookings to Australia,” Mr Buckley said
About G’Day Vancouver
G’Day Vancouver: Australia Week 2008 runs from 3 to 6 April. The event will see the city of Vancouver hosting parties, art, cultural and film events in the heart of Vancouver promoting Australian culture and tourism.
G’Day Vancouver is organised by Tourism Australia, Qantas Airways, the Australian Trade Commission and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It follows on from successes at this year’s G’Day USA and last year’s G’Day Toronto events. For more information, visit www.australiaweek.ca
4 April 2008 |
