Australia ‘bottom of the list’ for British travellers

Fares appear significantly higher than before the coronavirus pandemic

G’day London: Tourism Australia advertisement at Piccadilly Circus in the centre of the capital (Simon Calder)

With Australia about to open to British visitors, a new poll puts the country at the foot of the short-term wish list for UK travellers.

In a survey released to the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age, Australia was placed last – behind Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and South America.

The Age says the survey “suggests Australia has an uphill battle to attract back long-haul travellers”.

After almost two years of closure to overseas tourists, family visitors and business travellers, most of Australia will reopen to fully vaccinated international arrivals on 21 February.

Western Australia remains closed – even to travellers from other states.

Arrivals must complete a digital passenger declaration and demonstrate their vaccination status. They must provide a negative PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours before the flight’s departure to Australia, or a lateral flow test no older than 24 hours.

The survey of 1,500 Britons was conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies. One-quarter of those polled said they planned to travel abroad in the next three months. The percentage for each of the nominated destinations was:

• Europe 19
• North America 4
• Asia 3
• Africa 2.5
• South America 2
• Australia 1.5

(The total is 32, greater than 25, because some travellers specified multiple trips.)

When asked about reluctance to travel to Australia, 63 per cent said it was too expensive.

Fares appear significantly higher than before the coronavirus pandemic. Test bookings for London-Sydney flights that coincide with the opening show a fare of £1,182 for a British Airways/Qantas/Qatar Airways combination.

Sally Cope, Tourism Australia regional general manager, UK & Northern Europe, said: “Australia has long been a popular destination for British travellers, with over 700,000 travelling to our country each year pre-Covid.

“Following the announcement that Australia is reopening its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from 21 February 2022, our travel partners have reported a huge increase in both enquiries and bookings.

“We are working closely with them to convert the pent-up desire for Australia’s tourism offering and look forward to welcoming Brits back from later this month to enjoy all the incredible experiences that await them in Australia.”

Before the Covid crisis, the UK was fourth-most important tourism market for Australia, after China, New Zealand and the US.