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Opinion
Blog: Volunteering with BlazeAid
Jessica Riley, an Irish backpacker and journalist, shares her experience volunteering with Blazeaid on the clean-up after the 2013 Gippsland Bushfires in
Victoria. Read more »Defying off-peak dry spells with group buying
Rachel Beaumont founded Darwin Harbour Cruises with her parents and husband in 1996. She discusses the benefits of group buying sites after her experiences with online marketing company LivingSocial. Read more »Use it or lose it: the small scale accommodation survey
Last year the Federal Government committed to re-establishing a program for our sector to track the performance of our sector after funding was removed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Read more »
Fisheries set to bait sharks after constant stream of sightings, but is it the right thing to do?
The Department of Fisheries is set to begin deploying bait after a kill order was issued yesterday on a number of great white sharks that have been repeatedly spotted over the holiday period swimming near popular beaches in Western Australia. Read more »
Gen Y choose experiences over stuff
Chris Ball, founder and CEO at AdventureHoney suggests this generation are more likely to appreciate the things that money can’t buy. Read more »Industry feedback requested for Sydney Expo
Andrew Paltridge, managing director of the Sydney Adventure Travel & Backpackers Expo poses the question to industry folk: should the expo be split into an inbound/outbound event? Read more »
Treating customers like this is unAustralian
Travel agent Sarah Gohlke is unimpressed with how some people in the trade are operating…
I write this out of complete frustration and an intolerance for injustice. Read more »
Insurance rip-off…
Queensland hostel operator Brent Gemmell is unimpressed with the constant rise of insurance premiums…
What is happening with our insurance? As an industry we have been stung well over the top for a long time now. But this year we have reached new heights. Read more »
‘Australia must cut prices and re-enchant backpackers’
Australian tourism operators need to get real and drop their prices, while the country as a whole needs to ease backpackers’ visa restrictions and improve its promotional efforts, according to travel writer David Whitley. Read more »
From commissions to Koreans: ABiC debates continue
After Sydney’s successful Adventure and Backpacker Industry Conference drew to a close last Thursday, operators took the rare chance of all being in town together to arrange an extra informal meeting to further discuss some of the burning issues to have arisen from the conference. Read more »
Just a brainstorm in a schooner…
Scotty’s Beach House owner Boyd Scott suggests that while most of the industry is in Sydney for expo week, it makes perfect sense to hold an informal brainstorming session on how best to put Australia back in the tourist`s eye. Read more »
ATA’s tribute to the newly retired Ken Hart
Greg Zammit from Adventure Tours Australia bids farewell to his business partner of 22 years, Ken Hart, who retired two weeks ago. Read more »
UK travel magazine crowns Australia ‘best country in world’
Australia has been voted the “Best Country in the World” by readers of one the UK’s top travel publications, the Telegraph’s Ultratravel Magazine. Read more »
Checkin.com.au goes into voluntary liquidation
Popular Australian accommodation website, which claimed to have handled over a million bookings since being founded in 2002, yesterday went into liquidation and is no longer accepting bookings. Read more »
YHA manager cycling from Cairns to Sydney
A fundraising event will be held in Cairns for a local who is trying to raise awareness for Royal Flying Doctor Service, Humpty Dumpty Foundation, Lymphoma Australia, and Spinal Injuries Association. Read more »
Sydney sex clinics targeting STIs amongst backpackers
It is being reported that rates of sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in Australia, and backpackers have been identified as a group very much at ‘high risk’. Read more »
China not right for the Sunshine Coast, according to regional tourism operator
The Sunshine Coast should focus on markets that it is already equipped to service rather than chase ‘Chinese pipedreams’, according to local tourism operator Peter Foran. Read more »
Shotover Canyon Swing swings into action raising funds for Victim Support
Queenstown’s 109m high cliff jump adrenalin activity Shotover Canyon Swing has once again shown its dedication to the local community raising funds for the Wakatipu Victim Support network during April and May. Read more »
No Aussies make list of finalists for ‘Best Jobs in the World’ competition
Two Brits are among the finalists heading Down Under to compete in the final stage of Tourism Australia’s Best Jobs in World contest. Read more »
Local MP cracking down on illegal backpacker accomodation
Bundaberg MP Jack Dempsey says that he plans to have a meeting with his local council to look at ways of combating the growing problem of unlicensed backpacker accommodation. Read more »
Budget injects $15m into NT tourism
The Federal Budget delivered good news for some with the announcement of a $15 million contribution into the Northern Territory’s international marketing effort. Read more »
Application costs for 457 visas go up significantly
The Federal Government is set to increase the cost of applying for a 457 working visa from $455 to $900. Read more »
Award winning tour company acquires hostel in the Northern Territory
Six time winner of the Golden Backpack Award for best tour in the Northern Territory, ‘The Rock Tour’ has recently acquired Toddy’s Backpackers in Alice Springs, taking over the property officially on the 27th of May. Read more »
Budget delivers steady outcome for tourism
Last night’s Federal Budget brought with it a stable outcome for tourism and guaranteed funding for Tourism Australia (TA). Read more »
Australian dollar finally dips below parity with the United States
The Australian dollar fell below the American greenback on Monday for the first time since in nearly a year on Monday. Read more »
The humble postcard is dead, says Topdeck
Topdeck Australia is chuffed with new survey results which show the postcard is dead and staying in contact via Facebook is king, suggesting their decision to offer free WiFi on all Topdeck Australia buses was a wise move. Read more »
Female backpackers filling the void in the shearing industry
The sheep shearing industry is having to look towards backpackers to fill the void in labour left by the rise of the mining sector in rural Australia. Read more »
Branson drags up for AirAsia flight
Virgin group founder Sir Richard Branson has made good on a bet he lost to Grand Prix rival Tony Fernandes. Read more »
NZ ski season begins ahead of schedule
Tourism operators in Queenstown are celebrating two falls of snow a month ahead of the start of the ski season. Read more »
Richard Branson unveils Virgin Australia’s new regional airline
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Australia’s CEO John Borghetti were both on hand to unveil the company’s new regional airline in Perth yesterday. Read more »
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