Australia hopeful of Easter break boost
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According to a Sydney Morning Herald report, airlines and travel sites are reporting that advance bookings for Easter are on par with, and in some cases higher than, last year’s figures.
Virgin Blue spokesperson, Amanda Bolger, said her airline was experiencing the same level of bookings as last year, with flights to the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Hobart proving to be popular. Qantas and Jetstar also reported strong Easter bookings, the report said.
The trend towards short trips and late bookings was confirmed by online travel booking sites. Travel.com.au General Manager, Lisa Ferrari, was reported saying that her company’s bookings for Easter were up 25% year-on-year. Meanwhile Angie Bohlmann of lastminute.com.au reportedly said that bookings had increased 24% year-on-year in February, and that Australians were booking trips both internationally and domestically for Easter, with Los Angeles, London and Bali among the top destinations. Wotif.com’s General Manager, Megan Magill, was reported saying that bookings were on par with 2007.
According to recent figures published by the National Visitor Survey, Australian domestic travel dropped more sharply than expected in the last quarter of 2008, dashing the country’s immediate hopes that the market would compensate for the decline in international arrivals. The country will be hoping that a resurgent Easter period will act as a catalyst for the further recovery of the country’s ailing tourism industry.
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