30 April 2009

Emiratis canââ¬â¢t get enough of Australia

ABU DHABI - An increased numbers of flights from the United Arab Emirates have prompted a surge in visitors to Australia.

Almost 63,000 Gulf residents flew to Australia last year, 21 percent more than the previous year, latest figures show. ââ¬~¨Ã¢â¬~¨

ââ¬ÅâœThere has been a stunning increase in capacity, making Australia easier to get to,ââ¬~ said Andrew Oldfield, the distribution development manager for Tourism Australia.

Emirates Airline, which recently began flying direct to Melbourne from Dubai three times daily, offers 63 flights to Australia per week, with plans to increase that number to 70 by this winter. ââ¬~¨Ã¢â¬~¨

Etihad Airways, which flies to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, is also showing rapid growth in the number of tourists travelling to Australia from the capital, Oldfield said. ââ¬ÅâœTheyââ¬â¢ve seen an increasing amount of Emiratesââ¬â¢ market share.ââ¬~

Passengers comprise a mixture of GCC nationals, western expatriates, resident Indians, and Australians who live in the UAE returning home.

The destination seems to be particularly popular among Emiratis for winter holidays.

ââ¬~¨Ã¢â¬~¨The Australian government has also recently eased visa and application procedures for GCC nationals by creating more online applications and standardising multiple-entry visas.

ââ¬ÅâœAll visas issued to GCC nationals are multi-entry, given for a period of two years and are valid for stays of up to three months at a time,ââ¬~ Oldfield said.

Qatar Airways, which is based in Doha, also intends to start flying directly to Australia this year.

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