Australian switch. Interview | Macao Tourism Bureau is full of plans to attract Hong Kong people to revisit: hoping to return to 300,000 in 2025

The global new crown epidemic has slowed down, and many countries have reopened inbound tourism. Among them, Australia reopened its borders as early as February 21 this year. Since April 18, passengers who have completed two doses of the new crown vaccine can enter without quarantine.

Like many Hong Kong people, Tan Tianhui, Hong Kong Regional Manager of Tourism Australia, has not been to Australia for a long time. She joked that she misses the fresh local air the most.

Tan Tianhui joined Tourism Australia during SARS in 2003. The epidemic lasted for several months, and activities in all areas recovered relatively quickly, but this time the new crown epidemic has lasted for more than two years. She bluntly said, "This is not apples to apples. (Similar thing), it’s a brand new concept, no one has thought about it for a long time.” However, despite the long period of the new crown epidemic, the bureau’s activities to promote Australia in Hong Kong have never stopped. She hopes that in 2025, the number of people from Hong Kong to Australia will be increased. It can return to the level of more than 300,000 passengers in 2019.

+4

Tan Tianhui recalled that when she joined the Australian Tourism Board in 2003, the SARS epidemic happened that year, but SARS only lasted for a few months, and it only took a few months to recover, and the current new crown epidemic has lasted for more than two years. It's a completely different thing, "It's not apples to apples, it's a brand new concept, and no one has thought about it for so long."

Australia hopes to resume tourism after epidemic lasts for more than two years

Australia will reopen its borders on February 21 this year, and travelers who have completed two doses of the new crown vaccine can enter; from April 18, travelers who have completed the vaccination can enter Australia without quarantine, and those who have not been vaccinated can also travel to Australia. Apply for a waiver online.

Tan Tianhui said that tourism is very important in Australia. The local tourism industry has been stagnant for more than two years due to the epidemic. The relevant arrangements can encourage tourists to travel to Australia, showing the Australian government's "attitude to restore tourism."

+7

Masks are not required in most areas and vaccination records are not required

At present, most parts of Australia, including Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales, have further relaxed social distancing measures. Except for wearing masks on commercial aircraft, public transportation and hospitals, other places are exempted; the public does not need to enter the place. Before scanning the QR code, or show the new crown vaccination record.

However, as various regions will adjust social distancing measures in response to the epidemic, travelers are advised to check the latest arrangements online before visiting different regions.

Tourism stagnation leads to manpower shortage, it is advisable to check opening hours before visiting attractions

Tan Tianhui continued to point out that the locals welcome foreign tourists to visit Australia, and they are not too worried that the arrival of tourists will change the local epidemic situation.

However, she admitted that the stagnation of tourism under the epidemic has also caused a shortage of manpower, or affected the opening hours of some attractions or facilities. It is recommended that tourists collect information in advance.

Tan Tianhui pointed out that after Australia reopened, the Singapore market recovered quickly.

(Photo by Zheng Zifeng)

The rapid recovery of the Singapore market is mainly due to the exemption of quarantine and sufficient flights between the two places

After Australia reopened its borders, the number of tourists from Singapore to Australia has risen sharply. According to the figures provided by Tourism Australia, the number of local Australian air ticket bookings in Singapore has gradually returned to the level in 2019, that is, before the epidemic. Air ticket bookings in April this year increased even more. A 207% increase from the same period in 2019.

Tan Tianhui said that she believes that the response of the Singapore market is related to the fact that the local entry and exit no longer need quarantine and the flight resumes quickly.

Hong Kong flight response is expected to improve in October

In contrast, Hong Kong's flight recovery rate is slower, and flights also affect passenger exchanges to a certain extent. "When you have flights resumed, you can drive passenger exchanges. These two factors are closely linked." However, Tan Tianhui is very important. Thinking that the local aviation industry has been actively deploying, she noticed that in March this year, flights from Hong Kong to Australia only recovered to 2% of the usual level, and by May it had risen to 6%. It's on the bright side." She continued that Qantas will resume direct flights between Hong Kong and Australia in October this year, and I believe the situation will improve by then.

On April 1, the government lifted the no-fly orders for nine countries including the United Kingdom and the United States.

(Photo by O Jiale)

It is expected that Hong Kong people will return to 300,000 people in Australia in 2025

Looking back on the total number of Hong Kong trips to Australia in 2019 before the epidemic exceeded 300,000, Tan Tianhui described it as a pretty good record.

She hopes that next year, the number of Hong Kong people visiting Australia will rise to 44% of the total number of people in 2019, or about 132,000 people, and return to the level of more than 300,000 people in 2019 by 2025.

+4

Continue to promote Australia to find people in Macau and Hong Kong to shoot self-driving tour propaganda under the epidemic

During the epidemic, Tourism Australia has continued to promote Australia in Hong Kong. For example, in September last year, Tourism Australia, together with the Australian Business and Investment Agency and Miramar Tourism, launched a number of Australian-themed accommodation rooms, together with restaurants and spas. I hope Hong Kong people can experience Australia in Hong Kong.

The bureau also produced multi-segment 8D surround sound audio, presenting the different landscapes and faces of Australia.

With Australia's reopening of its borders, Tan Tianhui said that some Hong Kong KOLs have gone to Australia to shoot, and the pictures of Australia after the epidemic will soon be shown to Hong Kong people.

The bureau has also invited Hong Kong people in Australia to shoot a self-driving video, which is expected to be released by the end of this year, "From the perspective of Hong Kong people, in Hong Kong Cantonese, and then listen to a little bit (Hong Kong tourists) to play in Australia, it has already been get ready."

+5

Future focuses on sustainable tourism and Aboriginal experiences

The bureau's future tourism focus is on sustainable tourism and aboriginal experience. Hong Kong people who visit Australia in the future can experience itineraries such as accommodation in nature or wildlife reserves, contact with wild animals, and listening to aboriginal guides while hiking. .

When the epidemic is severe, Australians cannot travel abroad, and their domestic travel itineraries are also expected to develop into tourism products, giving travelers more choices.

The tourism industry is fully prepared to wait for "㩒"

The bureau held the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) at the Gold Coast Hotel in Tuen Mun in May this year. Many local tourism industries participated. During the event, there were opportunities to communicate with local Australian tourism industries through video calls. , the bureau also set up another Australian Tourism Experts Program, hoping to let the local industry know the latest local tourism information.

Tan Tianhui said that the local tourism industry has started to do preliminary work one after another, "I believe they have all been honing their skills... I believe you will see when you are."

South Korea switch | 6.1 Re-issuance of tourist visa teaching without reservations, only 30 daily application places, Japan switch | Two groups of East Ying tour depart in June to promote "spinning shoots" package for 7-day quarantine hotel Japan switch | Department of Health denies change of entry Hotel quarantine Ou Jiarong: switch to prevent new variants from flowing into Japan | The yen exchange rate is expected to remain low in the short term.