Are you struggling with gift ideas for friends and family this Christmas? Are you worried that things you order online may not show up in time due to delivery delays?
The Australian government and Tourism Australia have a suggestion for you, buy the gift of travel.
The idea of a travel gift seemed like a good idea earlier this year, in fact I purchased time away for my parents for their anniversary in May.
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Not too long after that Victoria went back into lockdown, but fortunately I had thought ahead and made sure that the voucher was valid for at least 18 months and they will still be able to use it in time.
Now that lockdowns appear to be a thing of the past and Australia’s vaccination rates make people feel comfortable about travelling again, they are being encouraged to give travel experiences as gifts to help support the tourism industry.
Tourism minister Dan Tehan has launched an $8 million marketing campaign to encourage Australians to buy travel-related Christmas presents this year.
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“A travel experience is a unique gift, from wine tasting, surfing lessons, a hot air balloon ride or a romantic weekend away,” Mr Tehan said.
“Not only do tourism experiences make a unique gift, with Australians typically spending around $16 billion on gifts over the Christmas period, buying a tourism experience will help support local jobs and businesses.
“Australians are generous gift givers and they also love getting out and doing things, so giving the gift of travel is the perfect combination this holiday season.”
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The campaign centres around booking the types of experiences that people would normally book if they were on an international holiday and the types of experiences that international travellers usually book when they visit Australia.
Tourism Australia research shows that experience-based tourism businesses are still struggling from a lack of demand.
The research shows that international travellers are twice as likely to undertake an experienced-based holiday compared to domestic travellers.
The gift of travel campaign features ambassadors Hamish Blake and Zoe Foster-Blake as they plan the perfect meaningful gift.
Watch the ad here
Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said the campaign is sure to get people excited and thinking about visiting new places, trying new things and visiting friends and family.
“The pandemic has left people wanting to make up for lost time and giving a travel experience will help people do just that,” Ms Harrison said.
“The gift of travel is about encouraging Australians to give more meaningful gifts this holiday season and in doing so give back to tourism operators and communities who have been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Last year, Australians spent, on average, $770 on gifts during the holiday season equating to $16 billion in total. If we can encourage people to spend just a fraction of that on travel instead it would be a multibillion-dollar boost for the tourism industry,” she said.
“Whilst the uncertainty around state borders can make booking challenging, the wonderful thing about giving a travel or experience voucher is that they will be there ready for use when restrictions allow and people are ready to go.
“We know from our research that there are high levels of pent-up tourism demand in Australia, so by giving the gift of travel, people can be sure they are giving a gift that people will want. So, rather than giving socks give a surfing lesson or a walking tour,” Ms Harrison said.
Do you have your Christmas shopping sorted? Have you considered giving a travel gift this year? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
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