New Pommie poll puts Australia as top destination
Media reports in the UK say that Australian tourism will benefit from a robust British travel industry with agents tipping ‘down under’ as the top long haul destination in 2008, a new poll says.
Marketing research company, the Network, has reported that independent travel agents are expecting a 17 per cent increase in bookings to Australia this year despite talk of a slower economy.
The southern continent is popular among backpackers and the youth travel market, with 50 per cent of Britons who take a gap year choosing Australia or New Zealand.
Experts say that young travellers thinking of taking an extended holiday should ensure they are adequately covered by travel insurance, after research earlier this month revealed one in four gap year travellers are uninsured.
The poll also showed that 61 per cent of agents thought that bookings in 2008 would exceed 2007 bookings by five per cent or more.
Paula Lacey, the Network’s business development director, said that the results of the survey were very encouraging for the tourism sector in the UK.
“The prospects for 2008 holiday bookings through the trade are hugely encouraging,” she said.
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