A WANDERING THEY WILL GO

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) reports that Australia is one of the fastest growing outbound travel markets these days, sending record numbers of visitors to Canada.

The CTC, in its newly released Global Tourism Watch report, notes that while the economic storm raged around the world from 2008, Australia stayed relatively sheltered by high commodity prices and a steady hand at the financial tiller. The ensuing economic growth has been one of the motivators for Aussies to travel.

Other findings reveal that the outbound travel market in Australia has quadrupled since 2000, making it the world\’s 10th largest in terms of spending.

New Zealand is the No. 1 port of call for Aussies on their travels, followed by the UK, the US, Thailand and Singapore. Canada has enjoyed significant growth, too, in recent years.

The long-haul travel market is expected to have a bumpy ride in 2013, with the Aussie dollar expected to fall almost 9% against the American greenback and 7% against the loonie.
Australians strongly associate Canada with being a beautiful and friendly country, as well as being top of the class for inspirational geography and a destination worth paying top dollar for.

Despite a healthy economy, the main stumbling block for Aussies not coming to Canada is concerns over affordability. Other preferred destinations and distance were the next largest barriers cited.

Recent Aussie visitors to Canada are of a similar feather, with almost half aged 55 or older and a quarter collecting their pensions.

Trip planning and booking cycles are long in this Down Under market. Travel agents have a big part to play in travel plans, with 50% of Aussies seeking their advice before making a long-haul booking.

Aussie travellers like a broad spread of Canadian provinces: while British Columbia (84%) and Ontario (69%) are the top two in terms of interest for consumers intending to visit Canada in the next two years, Quebec (53%) and Alberta (49%) also have their fair share of admirers.
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