Foreign exchange specialist Travelex says agents should be encouraging international travellers to take advantage of the current strong Aussie dollar, with Travelex’s Graham Perry saying smart travellers should consider the benefits of purchasing their foreign currency now.
“It doesn’t matter if customers are travelling next week or next year, now is a great time to capitalise on the rise of our currency because it means all aspects of travel spending, from a coffee to a cab fare, will cost less than it would have at the start of the year.”
“This is great news for what Travelex believe will be a record number of Australians travelling to the States this year.” “According to the most recent figures*, 603,000 Australians made trips to the US in 2006.
Travelex’s Graham Perry, a frequent traveller himself, said there are a number of ways to cash in on the rise of the AUD, adding, “Travelex’s Cash Passport, for example, enables travellers to pre-load the card with either US dollars, Pounds Sterling or Euros at the current exchange rate.”
“When customers pre-purchase their currency, they’re locking in the exchange rate and protecting themselves against a downturn,” he said.
“And when they do eventually head overseas, the cash can be conveniently accessed at more than one million Visa ATMs worldwide.” “A big plus is not having to work out exchange rates to know the balance on the card,” said Perry.
Aside from a fixed exchange rate, the Travelex Cash Passport offers a host of other benefits including a free second back-up card issued prior to departure and free 24/7 emergency assistance anywhere in the world.
The PIN-protected card, which is not linked to a bank account, is also ideal for younger ‘unbanked’ customers.” “Travelex’s Cash Passport can be topped up from anywhere in the world via BPAY.”
*U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries; Bureau of Economic Analysis (June 2007)
Report by The Mole
