“Canadians are returning to Australia in droves”: Tourism Australia updates trade in T.O.

“Canadians are returning to Australia in droves,” said Paul Larcher, account director for Tourism Australia, which is represented in Canada by Vox International. “We're trending higher than our U.S. counterparts.”

That was one of many takeaways from an exclusive event held for top-selling travel advisors and tour operators Thursday night (Feb. 22) at Toronto’s One King Hotel & Residence, in a sprawling suite, where the latest on Australia tourism was shared.  

With an invitation to say “G'day,” and celebrate mateship (over Aussie meat pies, no less), organizers were optimistic as they presented data about Australia’s post-COVID performance, which is expected to reach a 100 per cent recovery this year.  

Presenting Tourism Australia’s latest research, Larcher noted how 2023 was a “strong year” for the Land Down Under.

In terms of visitors from North America, last December was the busiest month for Australia, with Canadian arrivals trending strong. 

Total Canadian visitors in December was 21,320, which is 89 per cent of December 2019 levels (the U.S., in comparison, came in at 85 per cent that month).

From Canada, total visitation to Australia last year was 157,000 – 83 per cent of 2019, with the holiday market being slower to recover at 70 per cent.

“We expect to return to 2019 levels by then end of this calendar year,” Larcher told the room.  

Spending more, longer stays

Tourism Australia analyzes travel intentions, how its ranks among competitors, and what consumers think about the destination.

It specifically surveys “OOR Canadians” – out-of-region Canadians, people that have travelled internationally (as opposed to domestically) within the last five years and want to travel within the next two years.

Two trends Tourism Australia has identified is that Canadians are spending more and staying longer in Australia, moreso than pre-pandemic times (112 per cent higher).

Their study also asked Canadians what countries they consider to be a desirable holiday destination.

Italy and France came in on top, followed the United States (excluding Hawai’i), followed by Japan, the Caribbean and Australia (which is tied with the United Kingdom).

So, Australia is in the top five.

There’s other little nuggets in this research, such as what Canadians, in general, look for in a vacation.

According to the data, the top criteria, for Canadians, is safety and security, great value for money, beautiful natural elements, great weather and good food and wine.

Australia, known for its tropical beaches, marine reserves (the Great Barrier Reef), Aboriginal culture, wildlife (kangaroos and koalas), wine vineyards, lush rainforests and metropolitan cities, certainly checks a lot of boxes.

Big rebound at Air Canada 

Air lift between Canada and Australia is also flying high – non-stop connectivity is currently 112% of 2019 levels, Larcher said. There are 17 flights a week out of Vancouver.

On the scene last night were reps from Air Canada and Fiji Airways – both of which offer service from Canada to Australia.

Air Canada has direct flights from Vancouver to Brisbane and Sydney.

“We have rebounded more than we expected,” noted Tim Liu, managing director – sales and planning and effectiveness at Air Canada, referring to the airline’s Australia schedule.

Addressing the room, Liu said that Air Canada’s return to Melbourne is on the vision board, but limited aircraft is getting in the way of making that route a reality (for now, at least).

“At some point, we do want to return,” he said.

Air Canada, currently, is looking at ways of increasing capacity on its Australia rotes, Liu said.

While direct flights run out of Vancouver, Air Canada’s pitch to travellers is its country-wide network of hubs, providing connections into Vancouver airport (YVR), and its partnerships with Virgin Australia and Qantas (which also flies from Vancouver to Sydney).

“You can go anywhere in Australia, from anywhere in Canada,” Liu said.

Air New Zealand also has an Aussie service, offering flights from Vancouver to Auckland.

Or, consider Fiji

Toronto-based Jon Murray, Canadian sales manager for Fiji Airways, offered up an alternate itinerary.

Fiji Airways launched commercial flights from Nadi International Airport to Vancouver in November 2022 – a twice-a-week route that has been “incredibly successful,” Murray said.

Fiji Airways offers a “very unique” way for Canadians to get to Australia, Murray explained.

All tickets with the airline include a free stop-over in Fiji, in the South Pacific.

Then, through Nadi airport, travellers can connect to five Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland, Adelaide and Canberra) within four to six hours.

Fiji Airways is also partnered with Air Canada and WestJet, so it, too, can offer connections across Canada, Murray pointed out.

Do something big

Canadians have a high-level awareness of Australia – it ranks at 48 per cent, just behind Hawai’i, which is at 50 per cent, according to Tourism Australia.

But as far as consideration and intention to purchase (which, at the end of the day, is most important), Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom rank higher on the consideration list.

Major events, like the Australian Open, the Grand Prix, and New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney, are huge draws, Larcher said.

“There’s also been a huge boom in new hotels and restaurants in Australia,” he said.

Coming out of COVID, travellers are keen on “doing something big,” beyond Europe and the Caribbean, and trips that are more experiential, Larcher told PAX.

Myths, debunked

 Lora Hamre, an account manager travel trade at VoX International, debunked some common “myths” about Australia.

Many believe they don’t have enough time to see the country, she said.

“In reality, you can experience Australia in a very short period of time. A 10 to 14-day vacation can allow visitors to experience key locations at a leisurely pace,” she said.

She noted that 62 per cent of visitors to Australia will make a return visit “because you can’t see it all.”

Australia is very large, and Tourism Australia, soon, will be releasing materials that show just how Canada and Australia are similar in size.

High costs is another myth, Hamre said. While flying across the world does require some coin, “Australia doesn’t need to cost you a fortune,” she explained. 

Of course, costs can vary depending on flights and hotel budgets, but some of the best experiences in Australia are free, she said, noting the country’s unique wildlife and beaches.

Australia’s currency exchange is also close to Canada’s (the Canadian dollar, currently, is stronger), providing good value for money (compared to the Euro or U.S. dollar).  

Need to knows

Australia currently has a global campaign featuring a new Ambassador, named Ruby, a souvenir kangaroo brought to life with CGI animation (voiced by Australian actor Rose Byrne) and a toy unicorn voiced by Canadian-American actor Will Arnett.

These cute “Come and Say G’day” short films can be viewed on Tourism Australia’s YouTube channel here.

Australia, one of the last countries to end COVID restrictions, no longer requires proof of vaccination. Travellers do, however, need to complete an electronic authorization form before departure.

One thing that’s changed is that the form is now only available via mobile app. The app, AustralianETA, can be downloaded from either the Apple or Google Play stores.

The form costs $20 Australian dollars (about $17.70 CAD) and approval is usually instantaneous.

“If you have guests going to Australia, ask them to complete the form as soon as possible, just to make sure they have no issues,” Hamre said.

G'day Australia heading to Perth

For travel advisors, the Aussie Specialist Program remains the best way to upskill, attract more clients and sell higher-level vacations.

Tourism Australia tracks the trade’s completion rate of the specialist program, and already, the team has surpassed this year’s goals, Larcher said.

Which tells you that travel advisors are keen to introduce Australia to their clients.

Hundreds of international travel advisors who specialize in Australia will gather in Western Australia later this year when Perth hosts Tourism Australia's mega-event, G'day Australia, happening Oct. 13-18.

The event will put businesses face-to-face with about 300 agents from markets around the world who have been trained to be Aussie Specialists.

Attendees will participate in a three-day training workshop in Perth, as well as a pre or post FAM. Applications to attend open on April 3.

"G'day Australia is an opportunity to sell the best Australia has to offer to the world. We want more international tourists booking a holiday to Australia, staying for longer, and spending more – and this event will help achieve just that,” said Austraila’s Federal Minister for Tourism Don Farrell, in a statement.

"Travel agents with first-hand experience of Australia's best tourism experiences will be better able to sell Australian holidays in key markets around the world, using their lived experience to convince their customers of the many reasons to book a trip down under.”

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