Indigenous experiences at The Rock May 25, 2012
Posted by janeefraser in Australia, Travel.Tags: Australia, Ayers Rock Resort, Indigenous Land Corporation, indigenous tourism, tourism, Travel, Uluru
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Australias indigenous culture is finally getting the attention it deserves at Ayers Rock Resort. A new program of indigenous cultural activities is the first step towards increasing Aboriginal involvement.
From this week, guests at the resort, which is now owned by the Indigenous Land Corporation, can take part in a range of free daily activities including children’s art classes and guided garden walks. Visitors might listen to bush yarns in the village square in the morning, learn to throw a spear or boomerang in the afternoon and then join in with a kangaroo dance (for men) or emu dance (for women).
There are didgeridoo-playing lessons at lunchtimes (although Aboriginal culture dictates that only men take part) and visitors also have the opportunity to buy (more…)
Beautiful one day, in shade the next April 17, 2012
Posted by janeefraser in Australia, Cruising, Events, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: Cairns, eclipse, Port Douglas, Queensland, solar eclipse, tourism, Travel
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(Apologies for the break in communications, I have been away travelling. Here’s this week’s column…)
When dawn breaks across tropical north Queensland on November 14, about 40,000 visitors are expected to be there ready to witness a total solar eclipse. It is rare for a total eclipse to be visible from land and this one, which can only be fully appreciated from the region around Cairns, is attracting a lot of attention from travellers around the world.
The eclipse will last just a couple of minutes but the celebrations will run for days, with events including a solar eclipse marathon, a music festival and a street carnival. Berths on many cruise ships have already sold out and hotel rooms are filling fast as awareness of the event grows.
The chief executive of Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Rob Giason, says the region has had a taskforce working for more than 12 months on arrangements for the expected 40,000 visitors. The visitor estimate is based on the region’s capacity and past events – more than 30,000 people travelled to Ceduna in South Australia for a similar event in 2002.
“We have been bombarded with requests from scientists, amateur astronomers and holidaymakers who want to be here to see the eclipse,” Giason says. ”Viewing an eclipse from [the land] is… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
What you should know about airport hotels March 14, 2012
Posted by janeefraser in Australia, Hotels, Travel, Travel tips & trends, UK & Europe.Tags: airports, hotels, London, Rydges, Sofitel, Sydney, tourism, Travel
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There are few major cities without a big-brand airport hotel these days. At airports around the world you can get off a plane and head straight to a hotel of four- or five-star standard, with restaurants, exercise facilities and spa treatments on offer.
Sydney is set to get its first true airport hotel next year, with work under way on a 317-room property next to the international terminal. The four-star hotel, which will be operated by Rydges Hotels, will be within walking distance of the terminal and give travellers a room right at the airport, without the need for transport.
While such hotels have done a good job of marketing the benefits of a comfortable bed and a hot shower during a long journey, sometimes it pays to consider other options. First and most obvious is price. Some really know how to charge. I recently paid nearly $200 for just eight hours in an airport hotel in Asia because the timing of my flights did not qualify me for the cheaper day-use rate.
A search for rooms at the Sofitel London Heathrow, which is often touted as the best airport hotel in the world, shows you can expect to pay well in excess of $200 a night during the week, when business travellers are on the move. This is a big expense if you really just want a shower and a way to pass the time.
The other big point to consider… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
Can you afford to stay in Sydney? March 8, 2012
Posted by janeefraser in Australia, Hotels, Travel.Tags: AirAsia, hotels, Sydney, tourism, Travel
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Sydney could be heading for a time when ordinary Australians and visitors will not be able to afford to stay in its hotels, the industry is warning. Lack of investment has already pushed hotel occupancy rates above 85 per cent – which in reality means the city’s hotels are full much of the time – and there is no relief on the horizon.
“In the last five years, Melbourne has added just under 3000 beds to its stock, while Sydney’s number is less than half of that,” Lee says. ”We are at a tipping point. The demand’s there and no one wants to see us end up like Perth, where the shortage has became so acute that people are being charged over $700 for a… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
Bombing anniversary draws visitors to Darwin January 27, 2012
Posted by janeefraser in Australia, Events, Travel.add a comment
Darwin expects an influx of visitors next month when it marks the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin (frontlineaustralia.com.au).
February 19 marks 70 years since the first attack on Australian soil; the start of a 21-month-long raid on Australia’s north. The anniversary will be marked by a two-week program of events, including a re-enactment at the Darwin Cenotaph.
The Bombing of Darwin Heritage Tour guide, Garry Gallagher, says the event will be one of the last opportunities for people to hear firsthand accounts from those who defended Australia. ”Visitors will hear the stories of our servicemen brought to life … see important war sites and understand just how close we were to (more…)
The hottest travel destinations for 2012 January 9, 2012
Posted by janeefraser in Adventure travel, Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, NZ & Pacific Islands, South America, Travel, Travel tips & trends, UK & Europe.Tags: Travel, travel trends
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By now you’ve probably seen at least one list of what will be the “hottest” travel destinations for 2012.
Each year travel companies and publishers trip over themselves trying to come up with quirky and inspiring lists of countries and cities for the hipsters among us to visit.
Kyrgyzstan, anyone? Have you been to Suriname? And really, you must see Togo. No?
Here, travel industry leaders predict the real travel hot spots for 2012. In other words, where we will actually go.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/sit-back-and-spin-the-globe-20120105-1pmhl.html#ixzz1ivYIn1Gw
Keeping your cool with Christmas travel December 13, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Australia, Events, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: Christmas, holiday travel, Travel
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There’s nothing like a long airport queue or crawling traffic to test your Christmas spirit, so here are some tips to surviving Australia’s busiest travel period.
If you’re flying
For domestic flights, the peak days are expected to be December 22 and 23, with January 19 the predicted busiest day on the other side of Christmas.
A spokeswoman for the airport, Tracy Ong, says passengers travelling during that period should plan to arrive early, check the latest information on what they can take through security and use internet check-in if possible.
You can check in online up to 24 or 48 hours before your flight, depending on the airline, then all you have to do is drop off your bags. Checking in online can also allow you to choose your own seat, which could save you the dreaded middle seat on what is sure to be a full flight.
If you’re planning to drive to the airport, reserve some parking now, as many options will be booked out ahead of Christmas.
The Sydney Airport website, sydneyairport.com.au, is a good resource for other options for getting to and from the airport, including taxis, shuttle buses, buses and trains.
Another tip if flying is… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
The truth about working in travel December 4, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Australia, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: careers, recruitment, Travel, travel agencies
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Do you dream of working in travel? Think it sounds like a glamorous kind of industry?
The good news is that travel agents and others in tourism are reasonably well paid these days, with an average salary of about $67,000 according to a new survey by travel recruitment specialists TMS Asia Pacific.
The bad news is that as salaries have gone up, the perks that have given the industry its glamorous image are fast disappearing. In the 2011 TMS Salary Report, only a third of respondents listed free or discounted travel as an additional benefit of their employment conditions.
“Industry rates”, which can provide discounts of up to 75 per cent on standard prices, used to be a big attraction for travel employees, even though air tickets were generally on a “stand-by” basis, with no guarantee of a seat. For the majority of those working in travel, it seems these discounts are either no longer accessible or have lost their shine.
“It is definitely something that has declined over the years,” TMS’s general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Sally Matheson, says. “With travel being generally more affordable through low-cost carriers and discount websites, the attraction of stand-by tickets has lost appeal to a large extent. Employers can no longer solely rely on that fact in attracting newcomers to the industry.”
Matheson says what remains appealing for those looking at travel as a potential career is… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
When to go five-star… and when to get real December 2, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Asia, Australia, Hotels, North America, Travel, Travel tips & trends, UK & Europe.Tags: Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Budapest, hotels, Hotels.com, Melbourne, New York, Paris, Sydney, Travel, travel deals, travel tips
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How much would you expect to cough up for a five-star hotel in a major city?
Travellers can pay anywhere from an average $192 a night to an average $499 a night in cities around the world, according to the latest Hotel Price Index from Hotels.com.
Berlin in Germany is the cheapest place to go five-star, with an average nightly rate of $192, while Budapest, Beijing and Bangkok also average less than $200 a night.
Sydney and Melbourne are in the next tier up but still relatively affordable, with nightly rates at five-star properties averaging $269 and $228 respectively.
The time to adjust your expectations or be prepared for financial pain is when visiting (more…)
A new era for Ayers Rock Resort November 22, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Adventure travel, Australia, Hotels, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: Accor, Ayers Rock Resort, Travel, Uluru
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A huge cash injection and a partnership with a leading hotel operator will arrest years of decline at one of Australia’s most iconic tourism properties, Ayers Rock Resort.
The new owner of the resort, the Indigenous Land Corporation (an indigenous-controlled statutory authority that bought the property for $300 million earlier this year) has allocated more than $20 million to an upgrade of rooms and facilities, starting with the flagship Sails in the Desert Hotel.
It has also partnered with the world’s biggest hotel operator, Accor, which will help market the resort within Australia and to key overseas markets such as China.
Accor also brings experience in indigenous employment, which is one of the greatest challenges facing the property. As previously reported in this column, Ayers Rock Resort has never succeeded in securing more than a handful of indigenous employees and has had a dismal (more…)
