Tourism Australia has launched a new campaign to prepare for the arrival
of vaccinated Singaporeans who can travel to Australia without
quarantine from 21 November.
The
two-phase campaign dubbed ‘We’re Excited to Welcome You Back’ invites
Singaporeans to explore the lands of New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and
the Australia Capital Territory (ACT).
“Australia has long been a popular travel destination for
Singaporeans, who spent $1.53 billion on their travels here in 2019,”
said Brent Anderson, Tourism Australia's Regional General Manager South
and South-East Asia. “As one of our largest inbound markets, we have
long held strong tourism ties with Singapore, so we are really excited
to be welcoming this market back.”
The reopening of Australia’s borders to Singaporeans is a positive
first step in reviving its travel industry. Of the 10.7 million
Singaporeans who travelled internationally during 2019, 479,000
travelled to Australia, spending an average of 8 nights and $2,624 per
trip.
Tourism Australia is working with key distribution partners to drive
booking and recovery for Australia’s hard-hit tourism economy. Chan
Brothers, UOB Travel, Dynasty Travel, CheapTickets.Sg
and Klook are among the range of key distribution partners in this
campaign who have been selected to provide tactical offers aimed at
stimulating travel from Singapore to Australia.
When it comes to tactical offers, Jeremiah Wong, senior marketing
communications manager of Chan Brothers Travel, said that Chan Brothers
has curated a range of Australia offerings including “organised package
tours with more value-adds”, “diverse free and easy itineraries such as
escorted campervan tours, self-drive holidays, glamping experiences”,
and “bespoke private tours”.
Meanwhile,
UOB Travel's tactical offers "include freebies like complimentary car
transfers for $2,000 spend on hotel bookings," as shared by Steven Ler,
executive director of UOB Travel Planner.
Ler has observed that the majority of UOB Travel's customers
comprises travellers "between 35 to 55" who are mainly travelling to
visit familiy and friends, with a preference for "the free and easy
tours".
Singaporeans who wish to take up the wide array of travel offerings
from travel operators can enter NSW, Victoria and ACT. However, there is
a list of items to take note of for eligibility to fly into Australia.
Travellers must be fully vaccinated with a vaccine recognised by
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and secure an
Australian travel visa.
“We understand the pain points of travellers in these current times
when it comes to travelling,” Wong shared. “Travellers needing more
assistance in keeping up with evolving travel information and local
restrictions before and during the trip can find updated expert advice
from our knowledgeable and experienced travel advisors and tour
managers.”
According to Ler, UOB Travel's concierge team can "assist customers
on visa applications and travel requirements like flights,
accommodation, transfers, tour packages, insurance, PCR tests etc."
Tourism Australia is also partnering with Singapore Airlines and
Qantas to support the recovery of the airline industry and recommence
services into Australia in the coming months. Additionally, Australia is
intending to promote tourism with new sustainable destination
strategies.