A new era for Australian tourism
The first non-stop flight from Australia to the United Kingdom is on its way, marking a new era for tourism with our oldest friend.
The new Qantas Dreamliner flight will allow British visitors to travel to Australia quicker and more easily than ever before.
Flying direct from London to Perth will take around 17 hours, three to five hours less than it does currently when transiting via the Middle East or Asia. The convenience and appeal of non-stop travel cannot be underestimated. Consumer research highlights that time is one of the biggest barriers for UK consumers. The development of these ultra-long-range aircraft are a game changer for Australia's tourism industry.
UK arrivals are the highest they've been in more than a decade, boosted by the influx of English crickets fans during the recent Ashes series. With the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games just around the corner, and with likes of UK sporting stars the Brownlee Brothers set to compete, we are looking forward to welcoming more Brits to our shores soon.
Latest figures show the UK is Australia's fourth largest inbound market for visitor arrivals and third largest market for total visitor spend. UK visitors are expected to be worth between $5.5 billion and $6.7 billion to the Australian economy in 2020.
I have joined this inaugural flight and will be letting the Brits know when we land that there has never been a better time to travel to Australia. The Turnbull Coalition Government, is working to attract more visitors from the UK and Europe to Australia. More visitors mean more economic growth and more jobs.
Last year Australia celebrated 50 years of Australian tourism. Back in 1967, when the Government started promoting Australia to the world as a destination to visit, flying direct from Australia to Europe was just a dream. We are now fortunate to see that dream become a reality and enjoy the benefits it will bring Australian tourism.
With the Turnbull Government's record investment in Tourism Australia and new aviation services like this, Australia's vibrant tourism industry continues to go from strength to strength.