Australia plugs romance and adventure

SINGAPORE – Tourism Australia together with its six State Tourism offices (STOs) – Australian Capital Tourism, Tourism Queensland, South Australia Tourism Commission, Tourism New South Wales, Tourism Victoria and Tourism Western Australia – have launched the ‘Come Walkabout in Australia’ campaign.

Following on from the promotional campaign featuring Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Australia’ the movie, the campaign continues the positioning of Australia as a romance and adventure destination.

Utilising the Transformation television commercials developed by Luhrmann, Singaporeans are invited to Come Walkabout in Australia on tailored romance and ddventure packages.

A consortium of nine key Aussie Specialists travel agents, ASA Holidays, Five Star Tours, Chan Brothers Travel, Commonwealth Travel, Dynasty Travel, Qantas Holidays, Sino-America Tours, Sakura Holidays and UOB Travel are supporting the campaign.

The travel agents worked closely with Tourism Australia and the STOs to develop the Romantic and Adventure Walkabout packages, which start from S$308 and will be available at the upcoming NATAS Travel Fair and beyond.

The Come Walkabout Campaign’s launch is timed to complement the special Qantas airfare available in the market ‘Visit Two Australian Cities for the Price of One from an all inclusive price of S$869.

Maggie White, regional general manager, South/Southeast Asia and the Gulf countries said, “With such attractive airfares available in the market, we have put together a suite of packages, featuring unique Australia Romantic and Adventure Walkabout experiences where you can pick and choose your desired Australia holiday.”

The Come Walkabout packages will be promoted through print, online and outdoor media.

Singapore continues to be an important market for Tourism Australia. In 2008, 270,900 visitors from Singapore travelled to Australia, a three per cent increase compared to the previous year.

“Recognising the high repeat visitation rate, we continue to deliver unique holiday experiences and best deals with our STO and trade partners so Australia remains top-of-mind for Singaporeans as their preferred holiday destination,” added Ms White.

Some unique Australian experiences include:

– Swim with wild Sea Lions and Southern Blue Fin Tuna in Eyre Peninsula and indulge in the great tastes of the seafood trail in Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

– Fly in a hot air balloon over Australia’s beautiful capital city, Canberra.

– Have a snow adventure mid-year at Mt. Buller, Victoria, or enjoy a moving feast onboard a tramcar restaurant in Melbourne city.

– Enjoy romantic picnics in the woods, relax with soothing massages in Margaret River, a short two and a half hours’ scenic drive from Perth.

– Or venture beyond Brisbane and the Gold Coast and explore The Great Sunshine Way and enjoy a mix of city, coast and country in Queensland. For a romantic getaway, head to the exclusive Hamilton Island or Fitzroy Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

– Live it up in Sydney and experience the breathtaking Twilight Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb or enjoy a romantic dinner as you sail around the Harbour at sunset .

Visit www.australia.com for more information on the destination and full package details.