Australia, Ahoy: The Sydney Harbour Bridge

Calcutta, Nov. 21: Enjoy the panorama of Sydney from the Harbour Bridge, or wake up to a new adventure each day at the Great Barrier Reef which holds wonders few have experienced before.

Tourism Australia has come calling to woo more and more Indians Down Under.

“The growth has been phenomenal and with the open skies policy in place, the aviation sector is going through a boom right now, which is the right time to woo tourists,” said Maggie White, the regional manager (South and Southeast Asia) for Tourism Australia, who is in the city on a fact-finding mission.

Tourism Australia is targeting not just backpackers or honeymoon couples but also groups from companies.

“We are holding talks with many companies and a city like Calcutta is also a fast growing market with many people travelling to Sydney or Cairns for a super holiday,” said White.

In September 2005 alone, 5,400 visitors travelled from India to Australia, an increase of 28 per cent compared to the same period last year. Overall, more than 63,800 visitors from India travelled to Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne among other destinations Down Under.

The primary reason attributed to the growth has been lower fares and a growing interest among the Indian traveller for good value-for-money holidays.

With Air-India and Jet Airways going into a tie-up with Qantas Airlines, passengers can exchange their travel miles and have the flexibility of planning from Calcutta.

“With most Asian airlines flying to Australian destinations at a very affordable rate (Rs 30,000), the Indian tourist also has a lot of choices,” White added. This apart, Qantas operates three non-stop flights between Mumbai and Sydney every week.

During her stay in Calcutta, White and her team met travel agents and airlines. “This is my second visit to the city and it seems things are fast changing for the better. We are looking at a lot of travellers from Calcutta visiting us in groups and even honeymoon couples,” she said.