Australians tip an ‘Asian’ year, expect phenomenal rise in traffic to ASEAN

AUSTRALIAN tour operators are dubbing 2011 as the‘ year of Asian travel’, anticipating record numbers of Australian travellers to ASEAN, thanks to new flights, a strong currency and even the country’s recent floods.

Aileen Collins, personal travel manager of Travel Managers, said she was looking at a 15 per cent growth in business to South-east Asia this year, compared to a 20 per cent slide in 2010 over 2009.

“While last year was the American year, this year, I think, will be the Asian year,” said Collins, explaining that while the rising Australian dollar has also made holidays to the US and Europe attractive, the additional fillip for the region are new flights being launched from Australia to ASEAN destinations.

Just last month, Australia-based full-service carrier Strategic Airlines announced that it would mount non-stop Brisbane-Bali flights from March on a route currently dominated by no-frills airlines. This followed earlier announcements late last year by Strategic of new flights from Melbourne and Brisbane to Phuket, both beginning next month.

Collins said the news had already triggered some response from Australians, with the number of enquiries since Christmas up 10 to 15 per cent over the same period last year.

 Full story in TTG Asia