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Southern China Airways celebrated its first direct flight from Guangzhou to Perth this morning.   

The airline has introduced three non-stop flights per week between Guangzhou and Perth with a connecting option to Beijing also available.

Perth Airport Chief executive officer Brad Geatches said: “This new service will provide strategic connectivity to the Chinese market which offers great potential for both tourism and industry in Western Australia.

“It also offers an exciting new destination for Western Australians and will hopefully open the door to further opportunities and new routes in the future.”

Evan Hall from Tourism Council WA said the new service would attract tourists, business travelers, conference delegates and international students alike.

“This is a tourism touchdown!” Mr Hall said.

“We expect Chinese visitors to Western Australia will triple from 15,000 to 45,000 in the first year thanks to this new direct service,” he said.

Tourism Council WA is holding a major state tourism conference from 24-25 November to prepare the industry for the challenges and opportunities the Chinese market will bring.

A new bed-bug killing product on the market promises to be Australia’s first effective DIY bed bug solution.  

The product by Australian company Bed Bug Barrier has been scientifically proven to be 100% effective in combating the outbreak and spread of bed bugs.

Bed Bug Barrier’s managing director Tony Abrahams said: ” We are now the only company in the world that can kill every bed bug that walks up a bed leg. But more importantly Bed Bug Killer lasts for years and years. There is no other bed bug product registered in Australia that can compare to Bed Bug Killer.

“It is the only product on the Australian market that doesn’t use poison or toxic chemicals and actually kills them by drawing the moisture out of the bugs and causing them to die of dehydration.”

For more information, see the Bed Bug Barrier website.

Tourism Victoria and Destination Gippsland want you to be inspired by the Gippsland region in their latest video campaign.

The sculpture was created by Melbourne artist Cory Thomas and was built using over 200 silver ash tree branches sourced from Croajingalong National Park.

The video has been uploaded to the Tourism Victoria website and will be released to the public on November 14.

ATEC today announced the appointment of Cheryl Kelly as the organisation’s new North Queensland Branch Manager, taking over from Shelley Griffiths.  

ATEC managing director Felicia Mariani, who made the announcement, said, “Shelley has been an invaluable asset to ATEC in north Queensland for the past three years and we are sad to see her go.

“She has worked tirelessly to represent ATEC with integrity and professionalism in the region and is an enormous advocate for the industry in north Queensland.”

Ms Mariani said she was confident Cheryl would continue on this strong path.

“Cheryl has lived and worked in the region for 35 years, 25 of which have spent working in the tourism industry. She has built a strong relationship with the industry in the area and is well known by all operators. ATEC is very pleased to have her on board.”

ATEC North Queensland Branch Chair, Paolo Gambino welcomed the appointment.

“Cheryl is a highly respected and well known tourism industry professional.  Having worked with her on numerous sales and marketing trips over the years, I look forward to working closely with her and the ATEC branch in the local community.

“Having been part of the tourism industry, via her involvement in her own business and also as a board member of TTNQ, Cheryl is abreast of all facets of the industry and the challenges it faces,” he said.

Magic Travellers Network have introduced free WiFi in their coaches throughout November to keep their passengers connected.   

The New Zealand travel company are offering all passengers who travel on their coaches 30 minutes of free Wifi every day to connect with friends and family or to make onward bookings. Additional credit can be purchased and can be used in other hotspots like Starbucks and Esquires Coffee.

A spokesperson for Magic said: “Magic research tells us that the vast majority of our clients are travelling with personal computers and our aim is to consistently improve the service we deliver and make the use of these easier and more convenient whilst travelling on the Magic Bus.”

The All Nations Backpackers in Melbourne’s CBD is for sale with an estimated buying price of $11 million, according to experts.   

The hostel occupies the north-east corner of a historic building on Spencer and Flinders Streets in Melbourne’s city centre.

According to The Age, the building failed to sell when it was on the market in 2010.  It is leased to the All Nations until 2018.

After that time, the site could be transformed into a higher density hotel or residential based redevelopment with units that boast views of the historic Grand Hotel and Southern Cross Station.

Brisbane City YHA has been named the best hostel in Queensland, and Adelaide Central YHA the best in South Australia, at their respective state tourism awards, both held on Friday night.  

The 373-bed Brisbane hostel took home the Tourism Queensland gong, for the second year running, after being named as the only finalist in the backpacker accommodation category.

Other winners at the black tie event, held at the Plaza Ballroom, in the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, included Sea World, for best major tourist attraction, Mungalla Aboriginal Tours, for indigenous tourism, BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort, for tourist and caravan parks, and Fantasea Adventure Cruising, for major tour/transport operator.

YHA Northern Region manager Kimberly Mustchin said of the win: “It has been such a difficult year for the tourism industry state-wide and South-East Queensland with the effects of the floods in January, so it is a testament to the recovery effort from the industry and our fantastic Brisbane staff that our Brisbane property has won this award again. We are overjoyed.”

Among the 28 winners at the South Australian Tourism Council (SATIC) event, a black tie evening held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, included Adelaide Casino, for major tourist attraction, Santos Tour Down Under, for major events and festivals, Great Southern Rail, for major tour/transport operator, Adventure Bay Charters, for adventure tourism, and BIG4 Adelaide Shores Caravan Park, for tourist and caravan parks.

SATIC chief executive Ward Tilbrook added that an impressive 150 entries were received this year, with almost 65% of the winners coming from regional South Australia.

Qantas today announced a special offer of a free flight for customers affected by the recent grounding, marking the first phase of a package of measures to apologise to disrupted travellers.   

Under the terms of the offer, customers who purchased their tickets in Australia for travel between 5pm on Saturday 29 October and midnight on Monday 31 October, and whose flight was disrupted, are eligible for a free trip on any domestic or trans-Tasman route.

Bookings can be made from 30 November 2011 for travel between 14 December 2011 and 14 December 2013, subject to seat availability. Flights must be booked at least two weeks prior to travel but no more than three months before the first travel date.

Qantas will contact disrupted customers to advise them how to claim their ticket.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said: “Throughout the long period of industrial activity we have been acutely aware of the impact on our customers.

“Now that no more industrial action can take place, and the cloud of further strike action has lifted, we are 100% focused on what matters to customers: getting them to their destinations, safely, on time and in comfort, and rewarding their loyalty to Qantas.

“This ticket offer is one of a range of initiatives we will be launching as a way of saying sorry as we move forward into this period of stability.

“Customers can now book Qantas flights with absolute confidence. Over the coming months, in addition to these special measures, we will continue to introduce new aircraft, launch new routes and invest in lounges, in-flight entertainment, food and wine.

“We deeply regret the inconvenience caused over recent months and last weekend in particular – however, we are excited about the short and long-term future for Qantas.”

Qantas has committed to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that customers will be compensated for all reasonable losses as a direct result of the disruption caused by the fleet grounding.

Companies with a history of sponsoring foreign workers will be able to apply for accreditation that will gain them priority processing as of tomorrow, immigration minister Chris Bowen announced earlier this week.  

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Bowen announced that firms using the subclass 457 visa programme will be able to gain access to priority processing and approval for six years under the new accreditation scheme.

He said: “This new scheme recognises that many Australian businesses have a long history of dealing with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and an excellent record of compliance with workplace and migration laws.

“From 7 November, these businesses will be able to seek accreditation that qualifies them for sponsorship approval of six years rather than the current three, as well as ensuring faster processing times for all future subclass 457 nominations and visa applications.”

To qualify for accredited status, businesses will need to meet certain additional benchmarks, including being an active 457 visa sponsor for the past three years and a commitment to ensuring at least 75% of their domestic workforce is Australian.

Mr Bowen said: “While employers should first look to Australians to fill skill vacancies, the subclass 457 visa provides a fast and flexible process for the entry of overseas workers where they are needed to fill skill vacancies.

“The new accreditation scheme was developed in consultation with the Skilled Migration Consultative Panel, which includes representatives from major employer groups, unions and state governments.”

The 2011 KPMG Skilled Migration Survey of employers found that the subclass 457 visa programme provided a flexible avenue to alleviate skill shortages in growth sectors such as the mining industry.

Use of the subclass 457 visa programme is increasing, with 54,360 subclass 457 primary visas granted in 2010–11, an increase of 38.2% compared to the same period the year before. The UK was the most popular source country, with 11,820 primary applicants granted visas.

DIAC added that the median processing time for a subclass 457 visa remains at a historically low level of 22 days.

Adventure Tours Australia this week unveiled its new look, including contemporary logo and updated branding. The new branding was rolled out on the company’s website on Tuesday, with other mediums, including vehicle livery and guide uniforms, to follow suit in the coming months.   

New look brochures will be released to international agents in mid-December, in time for the 2012 season, while domestic brochures will follow next year.

The 2012 brochures are to feature three unique tour styles – Budget ‘no‐frills’, Explorer ’traditional style’ and Safari ‘premium touring’, designed to reflect growing market needs and a greater traveller choice.

“The new logo and branding has been designed to incorporate elements of the old logo and styling, combined with a modern twist for 2011 and beyond,” said ATA marketing manager Monica Baker.

“The addition of the Australian map outline has streamlined the logo, enabling the destination to be instantly recognisable in a fast paced competitive market.”

ATA’s  group sales manager David Thomson added: “We are thrilled to finally reveal our new logo and brand style to the market after months of hard work and planning. The update will capture the essence of our core business and reflect our market.”

Brisbane has been handed a tourism boost by being selected to host the biennial Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM), an event expected to attract 1,000 contributors.  

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced yesterday that the Brisbane Powerhouse would be the main venue for APAM in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

The event will also feature performances at QPAC in South Bank, Queensland University of Technology Gardens Point, City Hall, King George Square and the Judith Wright Centre in Fortitude Valley.

Mr Quirk said: “Securing APAM is a big boost and confirms Brisbane’s status as not only an economic hub but also a key arts and cultural centre in the Asia Pacific region. From both cultural and economic perspectives, this is a real win for Brisbane residents.”

The next APAM will be held next year at the Adelaide Festival Centre from Sunday 26 February to Thursday 1 March.

About 20 Aboriginal tour guides at Uluru have gone on strike due to a pay dispute with Anangu Tours.  

The ABC reported spokesman and local elder Vincent Forrester explaining that the guides have refused to show tourists around Uluru since last week because of the tour company cutting their wages and not giving them holiday benefits.

He said: “At the moment if you ring up at Uluru and ask for a tour guide they’ll say, for cultural reasons it’s closed. That’s not true.”

Sydney Harbour YHA has stolen Bounce’s crown as the best hostel in Australia, while the Adventure Queenstown Hostel & Chalet has retained the New Zealand title, according to Hostelworld’s October rankings.  

The top 10 charts are based purely on the reviews left on the Hostelworld website in the previous calendar month, with only those hostels receiving at least 10-15 reviews within the month being considered. They are unrelated to the Hostelword ratings, which are based on a six-month average.

Following Sydney Harbour YHA, the Australian top five hostels in October 2011, in descending order, were Dreamtime Travellers Rest, Surf n Sun Beachside Backpackers, Bounce and Globetrotter International.

The top 10 was completed by Wake Up!, Home at The Mansion, Caravella Backpackers Cairns City Waterfront, Nomads Byron Bay and Backpack Oz.

In New Zealand, Nomads Queenstown was second, followed by Rotorua Central Backpackers, Jailhouse Accommodation, City Garden Lodge, Kiwi Basecamp, Taupo Urban Retreat, Around The World Backpackers, Surf ‘N’ Snow Backpackers and Nomads Auckland.

UK tourists spent a record amount in Singapore during the first six months of 2011, new figures reveal.

Visitors paid out S$282m (£138m/Aus$214m) on mainly accommodation, food and shopping between January and June.

Some 231,000 people visited Singapore from the UK during this time, more than from each of the United States, Germany and Hong Kong.

And there were 6.2million total visitors to the country – a 15 per cent increase on the same period in 2010.

Additionally, total spend from tourism during the same period is estimated at S$11 billion, up 32 per cent on the same six months last year.

Entertainment saw the greatest increase, with a 136 per cent rise sightseeing and entertainment expenditure for the period, followed by a 23 per cent increase in food and drink expenditure.

Singapore has seen a wave of new hotels, restaurants and shops opening in the last 18 months, as well as significant new conference and meeting facilities.

Eunice Yeo, Area Director Northern & Western Europe, said: “It is fantastic that the ever-changing skyline has seen Singapore remaining hugely attractive to UK visitors.

“New hotel options to suit all budgets, including ‘Flashpacker hostels’, have added to the city’s sophisticated infrastructure with well over 100 hotel offerings, many celebrity chef restaurants, world-class entertainment venues and a plethora of retail outlets.”

Tourism is set to be a key focus for Asia-Pacific with the region expecting to attract more than 100 million business travel and MICE visitors by 2015, up from 40 million in 2002.

Young Australians and Argentines now have the chance to work and travel in each other’s countries for up to a year, thanks to a new deal.

The countries have signed a visa agreement in a “unique opportunity”, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, announced today.

The Memorandum of Understanding for the work and holiday visa was signed by Mr Bowen and the Argentine Ambassador to Australia, Pedro Villagra Delgado, at Parliament House in Canberra.

It means university-educated 18 to 30-year-olds are now able to spend 12 months in each other’s country.

Mrs Bowen said: “Work and holiday agreements allow young people to immerse themselves in a new and different cultural experience while also fostering wider economic ties and dialogue between governments.

“This agreement reinforces our mutually beneficial relationship with Argentina, which is based on shared interests, greater economic cooperation, and growing trade and tourism links.”

Argentina is the latest country to agree to a reciprocal work and holiday visa agreement with Australia, joining a number of other countries including Bangladesh, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Turkey and the United States.

The work and holiday visa differs from a working holiday visa. It requires an applicant to have the support of their government, hold or be studying for tertiary qualifications and to speak functional English.

There will be an annual limit of 500 work and holiday visas for both countries.

For more visa information, visit www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/462

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.  

Arranged by Mission Beach hostel owner Boyd Scott, and hosted by Side Bar, Friday’s session saw up to 30 operators, mainly accommodation providers, turn up to discuss a range of issues, which included commissions, getting more Aussies working in tourism, the threat of mining, capitalising on Asian markets and the potential for joint marketing with New Zealand.

The elephant in the room was undoubtedly the divisive issue of the high commissions charged by some agents. Several operators made the point that the reality of having to pay, in some cases, commissions of up to 40% left them unable to spend money on marketing or product investment, which in turn forces them to charge more in order to make a profit, further alienating travellers looking for a cost-effective trip.

A big trend in the discussion, following a theme from ABiC the previous day, was how well New Zealand markets its product, even while battling natural disasters. The room was near unanimous in wanting Australia and New Zealand to work more closely in marketing themselves to the world, although few could see the relevant tourism bodies agreeing.

One potential solution presented was to encourage the 10 largest tourism brands in each country to join forces, and their considerable marketing budgets, to launch a new Australasian campaign and get the ball rolling, hopefully encouraging the tourism bodies to follow suit. Top Deck, Raging Thunder and Oz Experience were some of the companies mentioned which attendees hoped might take up the idea.

Linked to this discussion was the idea of introducing a New Zealand-style Qual Mark accreditation. However, following negative comments from the Kiwis in attendance, much of the group felt this move would become expensive and that, ultimately, it would simply lead to more bureaucratic involvement.

Also debated was the issue of the lack of Australians being involved in the industry, leading to many backpackers lamenting how few real Aussies they meet while travelling around. Likewise, the lack of Aboriginal faces was also considered an issue, with New Zealand’s success, in regards to Maori culture, again being seen as a shining light. Suggested solutions included trying to encourage more Australian students and indigenous Australians to take work in hostels, as well as encouraging more tour desks to place a greater emphasis on selling Aboriginal tourism.

There was also a large debate over how Australia as a product should be marketed towards Asia and how hostels and tours can accustom themselves to make Asian visitors more welcome.

The more controversial subject of Korean workers doing seasonal work in regional areas was also discussed, with some voicing concern that many Korean backpackers pay little money back into the industry, other than accommodation, due to sending the majority of their earnings home.

Regarding the threat from the mining industry, questions were asked as to how hostels can better target miners and their huge incomes, to combat the current practices of mining companies currently filling up caravan parks, rather than hostels, and the miners themselves going on holiday abroad, rather than in Australia.

The informal brainstorming session is likely to get a second instalment before the expo in Melbourne next February.

The ongoing dispute over the issue of vanpackers in Sydney’s Kings Cross appears to have been solved, thanks to the creation of a new backpackers car market.  

In response to a deluge of complaints from residents and locals businesses regarding the number of backpackers trying to sell their cars and campervans on Victoria Street, the City of Sydney has announced the new Kings Cross Car Park, in Ward Avenue, will open on Tuesday 15th November.

The council has struck an agreement with Wilson’s Parking, the current car park operators of the Ward Avenue Car Park, to provide 40 spaces on Level 2 of the semi-underground car park.

The new car market will be known as the Sydney Travellers Car Market and will be run and managed by the management team behind Travellers Auto Barn, headed by managing director Peter Burke, who was also the first ever manager of the original Kings Cross Backpackers Car Market back in 1991, before he went on to establish Travellers Auto Barn.

Mr Burke said: “We are excited to be involved in this project for many reasons, but one of our main motivating factors was that we could see the animosity growing between locals and backpackers and being part of the backpacker industry and being a local business ourself, we thought it almost our duty to both help the locals and to protect the image of backpackers as well.

“Tourism in Australia is struggling and the last thing we need is young backpackers going home with tales of being abused and threatened. Backpackers seem to be easy targets for the mainstream media on slow news days, something which is not helpful to those struggling tourism related businesses.”

The new market is a direct result of Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s carrot and stick approach to moving the backpackers away from Victoria Street, where there are regularly 30 or more cars and campervans belonging to young travellers parked seven days a week.

The lack of parking space for local businesses and residents, as well as the makeshift living arrangements of the backpackers in the vans, has led to growing antagonism against the travellers in the area.

Ms Moore’s carrot for the backpackers is the car market, an orderly, sheltered, centralised location for buyers to view the cars offered for sale by fellow travellers. The car market will be free for sellers for the first three months as an added incentive.

The stick is new legislation making it illegal to sell a vehicle on Victoria Street, with authorities able to tow away any car in breach. Backpackers selling their car are usually at the end of their trip and very short of cash, so any delay in selling their car by having it towed and having to pay a hefty fine to recover the vehicle should prove extremely effective as a deterrent.

Frommer’s have unveiled their hot list for 2012 with the Whitsundays taking out the award for ‘top destination to get lost’.   

The list, compiled by Frommer’s travel writers and editors, features destinations across the world which are said to be the next big things for travellers in 2012. While no Australian spots made the top 10, the Queensland islands received a unique accolade, suggesting the region is well on its way to recovery after the devastation of 2011’s Cyclone Yasi.

Earthquake-prone Turkey featured as the Frommer’s Readers’ Favourite destination, with 51 per cent of the overall vote from the 10 destinations nominated by readers.

Frommer’s Top 10 Destinations for 2012
· Curaco

· Chongqing, China

· Fukuoka, Japan

· Beirut, Lebanon

· Ghana

· London, England

· Girona, Spain

· Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia/New Brunswick, Canada

· Kansas City, Missouri, USA

· Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Top Family Destination: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Top Cruise Destination: Tromso, Norway

Top Beach Destination: Hanalei Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

Top Adventure Destination: Moab, Utah

Top Food & Drink Destination: Lima, Peru

Top City Break Destination: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Top Endangered Destination: Aysen Region, Chile

Top Value Destination: Albanian Riviera

Top Destination to Get Lost: Whitsunday Islands, Australia

Readers’ Choice: Turkey

Travel company Topdeck have released three new commercials focused on the “best experiences” to be had in Europe.  

The ads feature a group of young travellers enjoying iconic experiences in locations across Europe.

“The key message is ‘the best experience’, for example the best tan, the best mates, the best picture and the best night, all of which can found across Europe when travelling with Topdeck,” Topdeck sales manager Asia Pacific Ben Ittensohn said.

“This is the first time we’ve shot on location in magnificent settings in Italy, France, Croatia and Switzerland. The great European road trip is a rite of passage for young Aussies today and these ads showcase the incredible experiences they will have when travelling with Topdeck.”

The ads will run on digital channels aimed at the youth market and pay TV over the next six months.

“Topdeck has already recorded a 200% increase in sales for 2012 Europe product following the launch of our e-brochure and we expect these ads to further drive demand,” Mr Ittensohn said.

Less than a third of travellers in Australia think the country is affordable, despite 70% of them still considering it a must-see destination, according to a new backpacker survey revealed at last week’s Adventure and Backpacker Industry Conference in Sydney.  

The results of the TNT Magazine Reader Survey, in which backpackers currently travelling around Australia were questioned about their travel opinions, were revealed by TNT Publishing CEO Kevin Ellis on Thursday.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, those questioned named Sydney as their top choice destination Down Under, albeit only beating Melbourne by just one vote. Completing the top 10, in descending order, was the Great Barrier Reef, Brisbane, Perth, Cairns, Auckland, Uluru, Christchurch and Tasmania.

The research also showed that the majority of travellers (55%) said they were spending just $350 a week, with the next biggest group (27%) shelling out $650 each week.

Just 30% described Australia as affordable. However, despite the cost, 70% called the country a must-see destination, with less than 2% stating they’d be happy to give it a miss.

Tours were not deemed popular by those that responded to the survey, with 84% saying they prefer to go it alone.

In response to questions about the motivations behind travel, 54% said they were looking for physical adrenalin rushes and 73% for the chance to develop their personality, while festivals, cultural events and historically significant events also proved a major factor.

Word of mouth was the clear winner when the travellers were asked for their most valuable source of travel information, with Google and Lonely Planet also well ahead of the pack.