R[0]="2880"; T[0]="Tourism body blasts Jetstar cuts"; A[0]="By ... Editor"; Dn[0]="20040723"; Dt[0]="Friday 23 July 2004"; Acats[0]="a44a69"; B1[0]="      Budget airline Jetstar has copped a lashing from Tasmania s peak tourism group for axing flights between Melbourne and Tasmanian ports.... "; B2[0]=" "; B3[0]=" "; B4[0]=" "; B5[0]=" "; S1[0]="      Budget airline Jetstar has copped a lashing from Tasmania's peak tourism group for axing flights between Melbourne and Tasmanian ports.
    "; S2[0]="   Tourism Council of Tasmania chief executive officer Daniel Leesong slammed Jetstar for pruning its flight schedule without consulting local stakeholders.
      He "; S3[0]=" said the decision was shortsighted and the TCT was deeply disappointed it had 'not been kept in the loop'.
      Jetstar cut a "; S4[0]=" number of Melbourne flights between Hobart and Launceston this month.
      The airline's corporate communications spokesman, Simon Westerway, said the decision was a "; S5[0]=" commercial one and affected only a small number of flights.
      The normal schedule was expected to resume in August.
      "; S6[0]=" Mr Westerway said passengers had been given plenty of notice and for many the rescheduling had meant only a 50-minute flight change.
      "; S7[0]=" Instead of eight return flights between Hobart and Melbourne yesterday, Jetstar operated six.
      There would be one flight change today and on "; S8[0]=" Sunday.
      Tomorrow and Saturday's schedules would not be altered.
      Mr Westerway said July was traditionally the 'low season' for "; S9[0]=" flights to Tasmania.
      However, Jetstar remained committed to operating to both Hobart and Launceston.
      'We must run the business "; S10[0]=" in a commercially sound manner,' he said.
      'Jetstar is absolutely committed to the Tasmanian market.
      'We don't foresee any "; S11[0]=" further changes beyond July 31.' Mr Leesong said his organisation would seek urgent talks with Jetstar... "; R[1]="2860"; T[1]="Healthy food and tourism potential"; A[1]="By ... Editor"; Dn[1]="20040721"; Dt[1]="Wednesday 21 July 2004"; Acats[1]="a09a10a44"; B1[1]="      Opportunities for integrating food production, healthy food consumption and agri-tourism are being explored by the Department of Agriculture and the City of "; B2[1]="Wanneroo... "; B3[1]=" "; B4[1]=" "; B5[1]=" "; S1[1]="      Opportunities for integrating food production, healthy food consumption and agri-tourism are being explored by the Department of Agriculture and the City of "; S2[1]=" Wanneroo.
      The former Chairman of Sydney's highly successful Hawkesbury Harvest program David Mason has been invited to Perth to discuss how to "; S3[1]=" meld the concepts of healthy food consumption, agri-tourism and agricultural land protection.
      Department project manager Ian Kininmonth said the presentation on 21 "; S4[1]=" July would be followed by a general discussion about the potential application of the concept to regions in Western Australia.
      Mr Kininmonth "; S5[1]=" said if there was strong interest, a planning workshop could be held in September/October.
      'The Hawkesbury Harvest aims to increase consumer access "; S6[1]=" to nutritious, safe foods while developing the opportunity for agri-based tourism,' Mr Kininmonth said.
      'Members share a common commitment to preserving the "; S7[1]=" farming and agricultural heritage of the region.
      'The concept is similar to wine-based tourism being pursued in Margaret River or the Swan "; S8[1]=" Valley, however, Hawkesbury Harvest appears to embrace a much more varied and integrated approach.' It encompasses farmers' gourmet markets, a farm gate trail of over "; S9[1]=" 40 businesses, on-line recipes and promotion of seasonal food.
      Mr Mason will discuss how the program works and its significant contribution to "; S10[1]=" a variety of social, economic and environmental objectives.
      The 'Integrating healthy food consumption and agri-tourism' seminar is on Wednesday 21 July from "; S11[1]=" 2pm - 4.30pm at the Department of Agriculture in South Perth.
      More information is available from Mr Kininmonth on 9368 3408... "; R[2]="2838"; T[2]="Australia boosts Tourism marketing in China"; A[2]="By ... Editor"; Dn[2]="20040601"; Dt[2]="Tuesday 1 June 2004"; Acats[2]="a44a63"; B1[2]="      The Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) has today announced it will inject the largest ever investment in China, starting from July.... "; B2[2]=" "; B3[2]=" "; B4[2]=" "; B5[2]=" "; S1[2]="      The Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) has today announced it will inject the largest ever investment in China, starting from July.
    "; S2[2]="   Speaking at the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) 2004 in Melbourne, ATC Managing Director, Ken Boundy said Australia would almost double its tourism marketing spend "; S3[2]=" for China in the coming financial year.
      'China is a market which offers incredible growth potential and we need to ensure that "; S4[2]=" Australia is well positioned to maintain its status as an attractive destination for Chinese travellers,' Mr Boundy said.
      'In the coming "; S5[2]=" financial year the ATC will boost tourism marketing dollars for China by almost eighty per cent, from $3.2 million to $5.7 million.
      "; S6[2]=" This is the largest ever marketing spend for the country.
      'The increased spend for the market will also fund the roll out "; S7[2]=" of the new brand marketing campaign in China in November, to further stimulate Chinese travellers' interest in experiencing Australia first-hand.' Mr Boundy said the positive "; S8[2]=" outlook expected for the market was evident by the record numbers of tourism wholesalers from China attending ATE 2004, with a 20 per cent increase "; S9[2]=" in delegate numbers for this year's event.
      'Despite the set backs experienced last year with SARS the market has bounced back in "; S10[2]=" the first three months of 2004, with visitor arrivals from China jumping by 16 per cent in the March quarter,' Mr Boundy said.
    "; S11[2]="   'Further growth is expected to drive a 25 per cent increase in Chinese visitors this year to a record 220,000 arrivals.
    "; S12[2]="   'The expansion last year of Australia's Approved Destination Status (ADS) to include six more provinces provides us with additional exposure to 350 million people "; S13[2]=" in China.
      'This is great news for tourism businesses looking to target this market, with tourist arrivals from China expected to increase "; S14[2]=" by 18.5 per cent each year over the next decade - making it a top three market for Australia by 2013.
      'Strong "; S15[2]=" interest from the tourism wholesalers who sell Australian holidays in China will help us to achieve this exponential growth.' Mr Boundy said it was important "; S16[2]=" for the tourism industry to be able to match the rapid expansion of the China market.
      'While we welcome the rapid "; S17[2]=" growth from the market, it is vital that Australia's tourism industry has the product and experiences to match the expectations of vast numbers of Chinese "; S18[2]=" travellers in the future.' Key facts about the China travel market
      * Australia received 176,000 visitors from China in 2003, a "; S19[2]=" 7 per cent decline compared to 2002.
     
      * Fifty eight per cent of Chinese visitors who visited "; S20[2]=" Australia in 2003 were repeat visitors.
     
      * Australia was the first western country to be granted Approved "; S21[2]=" Destination Status (ADS) by China.
      The first ADS visitors arrived in Australia in August 1999.
     
    "; S22[2]="   * Six new regions were recently added to the ADS program - Chongqing, Heibei, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
      These are "; S23[2]=" in addition to the three existing ADS markets - Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong... "; R[3]="2821"; T[3]="Spirit of Tasmania III too expensive"; A[3]="By ... Editor"; Dn[3]="20040529"; Dt[3]="Saturday 29 May 2004"; Acats[3]="a44"; B1[3]="      Fares on the troubled Spirit of Tasmania III service from Devonport to Sydney are ridiculously overpriced, say travel industry and marketing experts.... "; B2[3]=" "; B3[3]=" "; B4[3]=" "; B5[3]=" "; S1[3]="      Fares on the troubled Spirit of Tasmania III service from Devonport to Sydney are ridiculously overpriced, say travel industry and marketing experts.
"; S2[3]="       The Mercury exclusively revealed yesterday that Spirit III has sailed from Devonport to Sydney with as few as 57 cars on board "; S3[3]=" and averages 13 per cent of capacity for the route.
      Prominent Sydney media and marketing strategist Anthony McClellan says Spirit III fares "; S4[3]=" are far too high for a commuter ferry service.
      'I don't think they've done their economics properly,' he said.
      "; S5[3]=" 'It's so much quicker and dramatically cheaper to travel to Tasmania by air and hire a car.' Mr McClellan said the $4 million allocated to "; S6[3]=" advertising Spirit III in last week's Budget would do little to rectify the service's problems.
      'It's very difficult to market around the "; S7[3]=" fact that it's just too expensive,' he said.
      Harvey World Travel owner Tony Foster said his busy Hobart city travel agencies have "; S8[3]=" sold only a couple of Spirit III fares.
      'We sell a lot of Devonport-Melbourne fares, but Spirit III fares are overpriced and "; S9[3]=" something needs to be done about it,' Mr Foster said.
      'With people wanting to get from Point A to Point B as "; S10[3]=" quickly as possible and as cheaply as possible, the fares for the Devonport-Sydney ferry service are silly in the extreme.' Even in the less pricey "; S11[3]=" 'shoulder season' the cost of travelling to Sydney on the Spirit III service is more than double the cost of flying and then hiring a "; S12[3]=" car for seven days.
      A Hobart family of four would pay $2416 return to travel to Sydney on the Spirit III with "; S13[3]=" their car during the September school holidays.
      That is $1400 more than the cost of round-trip direct flights to Sydney on airline "; S14[3]=" Virgin Blue and seven days' car hire.
      In the peak summer holiday period a family would save $1850 by taking a fly-drive "; S15[3]=" trip to Sydney rather than sailing on Spirit III.
      New discount airline Jetstar offers a deal comparable to Virgin Blue's.
    "; S16[3]="   While the $1015 family fly-drive option involves only three hours' travel time, the $2416 September Spirit III voyage to Sydney takes more than 20 "; S17[3]=" hours.
      A family intent on taking its own car to Sydney would save almost $1200 by sailing to Melbourne on Spirit of "; S18[3]=" Tasmania I or II and then driving to Sydney.
      This option costs $1234 and involves about the same number of hours in "; S19[3]=" transit as sailing to Sydney on Spirit III.
      A couple wanting to take their own car on a September Sydney holiday can "; S20[3]=" do so for half the price by sailing on the Spirit I or II to Melbourne.
      This option would cost them $938, "; S21[3]=" but their Spirit III fare would be $1860.
      A Virgin Blue fly-drive deal, hiring a four-door Ford Focus from Virgin partner Europcar, "; S22[3]=" would cost the couple only $635.
      Mr Foster said the only way to justify Spirit of Tasmania III's high fares would be "; S23[3]=" to repackage the voyage as a Sydney-to-Hobart Tasmanian coastal cruise experience.
      'It needs to run between Sydney and Hobart, two of the "; S24[3]=" best ports in the world,' he said.
      'On the way down, the voyage could take in a Bass Strait archipelago, the Bay "; S25[3]=" of Fires, Freycinet Peninsula, Maria Island, the Tasman Peninsula, Bruny and the wonderful River Derwent.' Media and marketing strategist Mr McClellan agreed.
      "; S26[3]=" 'The service's Sydney launch in January attracted very good media coverage; the market knows about Spirit of Tasmania III,' he said.
      'However, "; S27[3]=" people won't be prepared to pay the amount of money being charged unless the service offers something extra, rather than just a commuter trip.' Tourism "; S28[3]=" Minister Ken Bacon yesterday rejected claims that Spirit III was overpriced.
      'I don't think it is because we're targeting a niche market "; S29[3]=" here,' Mr Bacon said.
      'If you take the upmarket hotel-motel chains, that's the type of people they need to get into Tasmania.' "; S30[3]=" Mr Bacon said more than 48,000 passengers had booked to travel on the service since September 2003... "; R[4]="2810"; T[4]="Virgin Blue to begin daily direct flights to Tasmania"; A[4]="By ... Editor"; Dn[4]="20040528"; Dt[4]="Friday 28 May 2004"; Acats[4]="a44a69"; B1[4]="      The State Government has welcomed today s announcement by Virgin Blue to begin daily direct flights between Tasmania and Sydney.... "; B2[4]=" "; B3[4]=" "; B4[4]=" "; B5[4]=" "; S1[4]="      The State Government has welcomed today's announcement by Virgin Blue to begin daily direct flights between Tasmania and Sydney.
      "; S2[4]=" Minister for Tourism Parks and Heritage Ken Bacon said this is another indication that the Government's strategy to build sustainable competition in air access to "; S3[4]=" and from the State is working and is providing both Tasmanians and visitors with affordable, flexible air services.
      Following his meeting with "; S4[4]=" Virgin Blue officials today, Mr Bacon said that Virgin Blue had committed to scheduling a new direct service from early September 2004 which will build "; S5[4]=" on the additional capacity to Tasmania available through the arrival of Jetstar services.
      'The daily direct flights were announced following strong lobbying "; S6[4]=" from the Tasmanian travelling public and the tourism industry,' Mr Bacon said.
      'Market research shows that low-cost airfares are a significant trigger "; S7[4]=" for people regardless of income, and regardless of whether they are seeking travel for holiday or business purposes.' 'The Tasmanian Visitor Survey is confirming that "; S8[4]=" this trigger is converting people into actual holiday visitors to Tasmania.' 'Now with two significant low-cost airlines operating in the domestic market, more people than "; S9[4]=" ever before are traveling by air, some as witnessed with Jetstar's arrival into Tasmania yesterday for the very first time.' 'Virgin Blue has also "; S10[4]=" identified that some visitors are using a combination of sea and air as part of the Tasmanian holiday experience.' Mr Bacon said that now more "; S11[4]=" than ever before it is important to build and capitalise on the increased awareness of the State as a visitor destination in the New South "; S12[4]=" Wales market.
      'The Government's budget commitment of an additional $4 million over the next two years to market Spirit of Tasmania III "; S13[4]=" in New South Wales and Southern Queensland would certainly continue to contribute to increasing this awareness.' 'These year-round flights will help build short break "; S14[4]=" holiday opportunities particularly during winter and in the shoulder seasons,' 'To celebrate the launch Virgin Blue has launched a special $49 one-way fare between Hobart "; S15[4]=" and Sydney.' 'This particular flight will help to meet the growing demand for Tasmania as a destination from people in New South Wales, Australia's "; S16[4]=" biggest domestic market.' 'The Tasmanian Visitor Survey (TVS) shows demand from the New South Wales market for the State as a holiday destination increased significantly "; S17[4]=" in 2003 from the previous year, with a 35 per cent increase in visitors to 147,000 people.' 'The TVS showed that more than half a "; S18[4]=" million people travelled to the State by air in 2003, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year.' 'The State Government has and continues "; S19[4]=" to work with all carriers to ensure both capacity and competition meet the increasing demand for travel to and from Tasmania,' Mr Bacon said.
  "; S20[4]="     The $49 one-way fare is on sale now until 6 June, for travel between 2 September and 31 October... "; R[5]="2784"; T[5]="$6 Million Tourism Project For Derwent Valley"; A[5]="By ... Editor"; Dn[5]="20040525"; Dt[5]="Tuesday 25 May 2004"; Acats[5]="a44a69"; B1[5]="      Premier Paul Lennon today announced details of a $6 million development that will thrust Maydena and the Derwent Valley to the forefront "; B2[5]="of Tasmania s booming tourism industry... "; B3[5]=" "; B4[5]=" "; B5[5]=" "; S1[5]="      Premier Paul Lennon today announced details of a $6 million development that will thrust Maydena and the Derwent Valley to the forefront "; S2[5]=" of Tasmania's booming tourism industry.
      Mr Lennon said the project will be jointly funded by the State Government and Forestry Tasmania, with "; S3[5]=" opportunities for the Derwent Valley Council and timber and tourism industries to participate.
      'I am pleased to launch an exciting, unique tourism "; S4[5]=" project to be located at Maydena that will set a new benchmark for the way in which Tasmania markets its unique brand values,' Mr Lennon "; S5[5]=" said.
      'The project has been given the working title of the 'Maydena Hauler'.
      'The Hauler visitor experience will resonate "; S6[5]=" with echoes from a bygone era in which steam-driven log haulers and sawmilling relied on a resourcefulness and bushcraft that we can only marvel at "; S7[5]=" today.
      'The Hauler development will celebrate that heritage with a re-creation of the Risby family's mill at Risby Basin, a nearby Visitor "; S8[5]=" Centre and a stunning three-tier rail journey to the top of the Maydena range.
      'The rail component will afford visitors a unique "; S9[5]=" perspective on Tasmania's forest types as they travel over wooden trestle bridges during the 1,100-metre climb to the summit.
      'At the top, "; S10[5]=" tourists will be rewarded with breathtaking 360-degree views of the Styx Valley, the Wellington Range, Mt Field, the East Coast and South-Western World Heritage Areas.
"; S11[5]="       'A special feature will be the view from an 'eagles' nest' viewing facility at the summit that will showcase how forestry and "; S12[5]=" the conservation decisions made under the Regional Forest Agreement blend in the landscape.
      'The Hauler will become a tourism icon in Tasmania "; S13[5]=" and will stand alongside the Tahune AirWalk, The Wilderness Railway and Port Arthur as a visitor drawcard of international standing.
      'There can "; S14[5]=" be no doubt this development will provide a significant boost to the Derwent Valley economy.
      'We have already seen the positive impact "; S15[5]=" the Tahune AirWalk has had on Geeveston and surrounding communities, with new businesses opening in a revitalisation of the regional economy in the far south.
"; S16[5]="       'This cannot be underestimated.
      We are about to see the Circular Head region boom, with the opening of Forestry "; S17[5]=" Tasmania's fabulous Dismal Swamp Maze.
      'A community consultative committee will be formed and there will be ample opportunities for public participation as "; S18[5]=" the project develops.
      'We expect that detailed planning will be completed over the next six months and if approvals are gained, construction "; S19[5]=" will commence in the summer of 2005 and be completed for opening to the public within about 12 months.'.. "; R[6]="2756"; T[6]="Australia needs to lift its game on tourism"; A[6]="By ... Editor"; Dn[6]="20040520"; Dt[6]="Thursday 20 May 2004"; Acats[6]="a44"; B1[6]="      Australia needed to work harder to alert tourists to its virtues because we re the last stop on the bus route , "; B2[6]="the federal Minister for Small Business and Tourism, Joe Hockey, said at yesterday s launch of the nation s biggest ever push for visitors... "; B3[6]=" "; B4[6]=" "; B5[6]=" "; S1[6]="      Australia needed to work harder to alert tourists to its virtues because 'we're the last stop on the bus route', the federal "; S2[6]=" Minister for Small Business and Tourism, Joe Hockey, said at yesterday's launch of the nation's biggest ever push for visitors.
      'We can't "; S3[6]=" be just another theme park, we can't be another hotel room,' he said.
      'We must provide visitors with a life-long experience.' Spearheading "; S4[6]=" the $360 million campaign are six, one-minute ads that feature Australian celebrities - among them Delta Goodrem and Richie Benaud - recasting Australia in a "; S5[6]=" different light.
      They will be shown both nationally and internationally in cinemas and on TV, with the first to be aired this "; S6[6]=" month in Singapore, Italy, Britain and Australia.
      Mr Hockey hoped the ads would entice new visitors who would become 'life-time ambassadors' for "; S7[6]=" Australia.
      A total of $120 million has been earmarked for the campaign's international marketing, which tops up the Australian Tourist Commission's "; S8[6]=" annual budget of $90 million.
      The inbound and domestic tourism industry contributes $70 billion to the economy and employs 500,000.
  "; S9[6]="     Chris Brown, the chief executive of the tourism industry lobby group, TTF, said he expected the industry, which had been urging the Government "; S10[6]=" to increase funding for marketing, would now put more money into promotion.
      He described the ads as 'sensational'.
      The "; S11[6]=" theme of the campaign is 'Australia: a different light', and is focused on emphasising the qualities that distinguish Australia from other destinations and encouraging broader "; S12[6]=" perceptions of the country.
      Gone are the images of barbecues and beaches, that typified previous campaigns, and in their place are "; S13[6]=" snapshots of Australia's landscapes at their most stunning.
      Even the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge have been given supporting roles.
  "; S14[6]="     The Government hopes the images will resonate with those tourists in search of a richer experience.
      The ATC's marketing chief, "; S15[6]=" Stephen O'Neill, said: 'We wanted to show a different side to Australia, not just the sun, the sea and the sand but the history and "; S16[6]=" the culture of the place.
      'Today's tourist is looking to learn more about the country rather than just enjoy some of its "; S17[6]=" more obvious delights.' The domestic campaign will feature the slogan 'See Australia in a different light'.
      The commercials cost $3 million to "; S18[6]=" make and were shot over an 18-day period and took in every state and territory.
      They are Australia's response to the '100% "; S19[6]=" Pure New Zealand' marketing campaign which has successfully branded New Zealand as the southern hemisphere's nature destination, lifting visitor numbers by 33 per cent in "; S20[6]=" four years.
      Organisations such as Fosters, RM Williams, Penfolds and the Australian Council for the Arts were consulted on their perceptions of "; S21[6]=" Australia, the results of which formed the bedrock of the strategy behind the commercials.
      Among the other identities to feature in the "; S22[6]=" commercials are poet Les Murray, Aboriginal artist Barbara Weir, comedian Jonathan 'Jono' Coleman and British TV presenter Michael Parkinson... "; R[7]="2746"; T[7]="Around-Australia walker strides into Darwin"; A[7]="By ... Editor"; Dn[7]="20040516"; Dt[7]="Sunday 16 May 2004"; Acats[7]="a44a48a49a51"; B1[7]="      A walker attempting to be the first woman to walk around Australia has arrived in Darwin.... "; B2[7]=" "; B3[7]=" "; B4[7]=" "; B5[7]=" "; S1[7]="      A walker attempting to be the first woman to walk around Australia has arrived in Darwin.
      Deborah De Williams "; S2[7]=" started her charity walk in Melbourne in October last year and has been through Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia before arriving in the Northern "; S3[7]=" Territory.
      Ms De Williams says she is on track to break the record for a continuous walk around the country.
    "; S4[7]="   'I'll definitely get to the record,' she said.
      'I've been through two cyclones, a robbery, a big major detour and I'm "; S5[7]=" still four days ahead of the world record.
      'I'll definitely get the record, and I will be home on October 9 as "; S6[7]=" I've got a wedding to go to on the 10th, and my girlfriend would kill me if I wasn't there.'.. "; R[8]="2729"; T[8]="Kiwis fuelling tourism recovery"; A[8]="By ... Editor"; Dn[8]="20040513"; Dt[8]="Thursday 13 May 2004"; Acats[8]="a44"; B1[8]="      KIWIS flying across the Tasman on cheap fares are helping Australia s tourism industry recovery.... "; B2[8]=" "; B3[8]=" "; B4[8]=" "; B5[8]=" "; S1[8]="      KIWIS flying across the Tasman on cheap fares are helping Australia's tourism industry recovery.
      Figures released by the Australian "; S2[8]=" Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today show a 25.3 per cent jump in the number of New Zealanders arriving in the March quarter, compared to the "; S3[8]=" same period last year.
      Cheaper airfares were the main reason for the influx, tourism and transport lobby group TTF Australia's managing "; S4[8]=" director Christopher Brown said.
      'We can directly see that low-cost air fares are generating traffic across the Tasman,' Mr Brown said.peTTF "; S5[8]=" said increased competition between Virgin Blue offshoot Pacific Blue, Air New Zealand, Emirates and Qantas had cut the average return airfares paid by visitors from "; S6[8]=" New Zealand from $529.63 in 2002 to $447.56 in 2003.
      Overseas international arrivals in Australia for March alone showed a 10.1 "; S7[8]=" per cent rise on the corresponding period in 2003.
      The Chinese New Year holiday boosted the number of Malaysians visiting by "; S8[8]=" 39.8 per cent and Chinese by 22.4 per cent, while arrivals from the United Kingdom rose by 10.4 per cent.
      Kiwis "; S9[8]=" were also rated big spenders, bringing an extra $76.1 million into the Australian economy in the first quarter of the year.
      "; S10[8]=" An analysis of Visa credit card spending showed each New Zealander spent $2,024 per visit to Australia, including airfares.
      The Australian "; S11[8]=" Tourism Export Council (ATEC) said Australia's chief marketing strength overseas remained the perception of the country as a safe and secure destination.
      "; S12[8]=" ATEC chairman David Mazitelli today said March was the seventh month of consecutive growth for international arrivals to Australia and the March quarter was "; S13[8]=" 7.5 per cent stronger than the same period in 2003.
      'It appears that we are on track to hit the Tourism "; S14[8]=" Forecasting Council's predicted annual growth for 2004 of 9.9 percent,' Mr Mazitelli said.
      Last month, the Tourism Forecasting Council said Australia "; S15[8]=" was set to reverse three years of negative growth by welcoming 5.2 million visitors in 2004, with New Zealand, Britain and China leading the way... "; R[9]="2728"; T[9]="Boost for Tourism"; A[9]="By ... Editor"; Dn[9]="20040513"; Dt[9]="Thursday 13 May 2004"; Acats[9]="a44"; B1[9]="      The 2004-05 Budget has secured the future for Australia s tourism industry, said the Hon Joe Hockey MP, Minister for Small Business "; B2[9]="and Tourism... "; B3[9]=" "; B4[9]=" "; B5[9]=" "; S1[9]="      'The 2004-05 Budget has secured the future for Australia's tourism industry,' said the Hon Joe Hockey MP, Minister for Small Business and "; S2[9]=" Tourism.
      'By confirming the allocation of the $235 million Tourism White Paper funding to major key strategies and program initiatives, the Australian "; S3[9]=" Government is demonstrating its commitment to this important industry sector,' Minister Hockey said.
      'Tourism White Paper funding is providing the industry with "; S4[9]=" the ability to revitalise and develop new and exciting market niches in which to grow and expand.' Major strategies and initiatives include: o $120.6 million "; S5[9]=" to boost international marketing to attract new and return internationalvisitors to Australia.
      o $45.5 million to support regional tourism marketing.
    "; S6[9]="   o $24 million for the Australian Tourism Development Program to help develop tourism in cities and regions throughout Australia.
      $19 million "; S7[9]=" of this is new funding, with $5 million rolled in from the Regional Tourism Program.
      o $21.5 million to improve and extend "; S8[9]=" the quality and provision of research and statistics.
      o $4.6 million for tourism and conservation, facilitating the development of nature based tourism "; S9[9]=" attractions while protecting and conserving the environment.
      o $3.8 million funding to assist Indigenous tourism businesses develop management, business, planning and marketing "; S10[9]=" skills.
      o $2 million funding to develop a voluntary national tourism accreditation framework.
      'I commend this Budget to industry "; S11[9]=" and look forward to maintaining the Australian Government's continued commitment to tourism as demonstrated by the release of the 2004-05 Budget,' Minister Hockey said... "; R[10]="2675"; T[10]="JETSTAR arrives in Tassie"; A[10]="By ... Editor"; Dn[10]="20040503"; Dt[10]="Monday 3 May 2004"; Acats[10]="a44a69"; B1[10]="      The State Government welcomes the start of low-cost carrier Jetstar s services into Tasmania, which will increase Qantas services to and from "; B2[10]="Tasmania by 25 per cent... "; B3[10]=" "; B4[10]=" "; B5[10]=" "; S1[10]="      The State Government welcomes the start of low-cost carrier Jetstar's services into Tasmania, which will increase Qantas services to and from Tasmania "; S2[10]=" by 25 per cent.
      The Minister for Tourism, Parks and Heritage Ken Bacon today met with Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce "; S3[10]=" ahead of the start of services on 25 May.
      'The new Jetstar services are further testimony to the State Government's strategy to "; S4[10]=" build competitive and sustainable access for visitors and Tasmanians alike,' Mr Bacon said.
      'The increase in capacity and frequency will meet the "; S5[10]=" growing demand for Tasmania as a destination, both from national and international visitors, as well as benefiting business sectors.' 'Never before have Tasmanians had so "; S6[10]=" many choices of air services, price and frequency, with Qantas, Qantaslink, Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Rex.' 'Adding to that is State Government's introduction of the "; S7[10]=" three ships Spirit of Tasmania I, II and III.' 'Tasmania has proved its ability to attract more visitors with increased access.' 'The Tasmanian Visitor Survey "; S8[10]=" showed that more than half a million people travelled to the State by air in 2003, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year.' "; S9[10]=" 'This was in addition to significant growth in the number of people who came by sea, 188,000 which in itself was an increase of 41 "; S10[10]=" per cent on the year before.' 'Immediate benefits include increased capacity, frequency and competition - all great news for the State,' Mr Bacon said.
  "; S11[10]="     Jetstar will use the current Boeing 717 fleet to service Tasmania but these will be gradually phased out between July 2004 and mid "; S12[10]=" 2006 when it moves to an all A320 fleet (capacity 177 seats).
      'The State Government has and continues to work with all "; S13[10]=" carriers to ensure both capacity and competition meet the increasing demand for travel to and from Tasmania,' Mr Bacon said... "; R[11]="2609"; T[11]="Tassie in top five in world Tourism"; A[11]="By ... Editor"; Dn[11]="20040420"; Dt[11]="Tuesday 20 April 2004"; Acats[11]="a44a69"; B1[11]="      Tasmania continues to weave its magic on the international travel market and has been rated in the top five international tourism destinations.... "; B2[11]=" "; B3[11]=" "; B4[11]=" "; B5[11]=" "; S1[11]="      Tasmania continues to weave its magic on the international travel market and has been rated in the top five international tourism destinations.
"; S2[11]="       The state has also made a big impression on the world's beer connoisseurs with Cascade named as the producer of the globe's "; S3[11]=" best amber lager in this year's World Beer Cup.
      The accolades strengthen Tasmania's position as a must-see destination in terms of "; S4[11]=" a clean environment and producer of excellent food and beverages.
      Two hundred specialists, including archaeologists, economists, travel writers and geographers, contributed "; S5[11]=" to the National Geographic Traveler magazine survey ranking Tasmania among the world's best travel spots.
      The state scored 77 points and "; S6[11]=" was pipped by the first-placed Norwegian Fjords on 82 points and three other temperate climate locations -- Cape Breton Island in Canada, New Zealand's south "; S7[11]=" island and Chile's Torres del Paine -- which scored 78 points.
      The experts considered environmental and ecological quality, social and cultural "; S8[11]=" integrity and the aesthetic appeal of natural and man-made features.
      They also looked at the appropriateness and sustainability of future tourism "; S9[11]=" development.
      Tourism Council of Tasmania chairman Simon Currant said the survey results proved the strength and value of Tasmania's brand.
  "; S10[11]="     'Last year we had a record of more than 740,000 visitors to the state, but if we are going to maintain that "; S11[11]=" level of success we need to ensure visitors have an excellent experience while they here,' Mr Currant said.
      'That means we "; S12[11]=" need to do more to maintain and protect our magnificent World Heritage Area, our parks and our heritage buildings.' Tasmania is no stranger to "; S13[11]=" international ratings success.
      It was voted the best island in the South Pacific and number two in the world by readers "; S14[11]=" of North America's Travel + Leisure magazine in 2002 and Conde Nast voted Tasmania the best temperate island in 1999 and 2000.
      "; S15[11]=" Meanwhile, Cascade is toasting its success.
      More than 390 breweries from 40 countries competed in the World Beer Cup.
    "; S16[11]="   Cascade's Autumn Amber beat many of North America's breweries at their own game in the American-style amber lager section and the local brewer's "; S17[11]=" Summer Blonde won a bronze medal in the American-style wheat beer category... "; R[12]="2596"; T[12]="New image to sell Australia to tourists"; A[12]="By ... Editor"; Dn[12]="20040417"; Dt[12]="Saturday 17 April 2004"; Acats[12]="a44"; B1[12]="      Fine wine, handmade riding boots and high-profile athletes will become official ambassadors for Australia under a national brand council to nurture Australia "; B2[12]="s international image... "; B3[12]=" "; B4[12]=" "; B5[12]=" "; S1[12]="      Fine wine, handmade riding boots and high-profile athletes will become official ambassadors for Australia under a national brand council to nurture Australia's "; S2[12]=" international image.
      The proposal to monitor 'Brand Australia' to improve Australia's marketing of itself comes a month before the Australian Tourist "; S3[12]=" Commission launches the biggest advertising campaign promoting tourism to Australia since the Paul Hogan ads in the early 1980s.
      Six television commercials "; S4[12]=" are being developed for Britain, Italy and Singapore, and, for the first time, ads made for key international markets will also be shown in Australia.
"; S5[12]="       As part of a wider overhaul of 'Brand Australia', senior representatives from the public and private sectors will be approached to "; S6[12]=" sit on the council.
      The tourist commission has approached organisations including RM Williams, Foster's and even the Australian Film Commission to gain "; S7[12]=" support for a more unified approach to selling Australia overseas.
      Once formed, the council will advise various organisations and high-profile Australians "; S8[12]=" on how to be 'brand ambassadors' for Australia when travelling abroad.
      'Australia sells thousands of bottles of wine a minute around "; S9[12]=" the world, and if we can turn them into liquid postcards just imagine the benefits for Australia and its image overseas,' federal Tourism Minister Joe "; S10[12]=" Hockey said.
      'We want every Australian, and every international visitor, to become ambassadors for Australia.' The brand council is likely to "; S11[12]=" help Australia's national sporting teams and individuals to nurture Australia's image when competing overseas.
      Tourist commission chief executive Ken Boundy cited "; S12[12]=" as an example the 'marked difference' in the demeanour of the otherwise unsuccessful South African team during last year's Rugby World Cup.
      "; S13[12]=" He said that the team had been briefed by South Africa's version of the brand council before attending the cup.
      "; S14[12]=" The Australian Tourist Commission has looked at brand council models in South Africa and New Zealand.
      Both countries have built up "; S15[12]=" brands for their nations out of their tourism marketing, with New Zealand eclipsing its trans-Tasman neighbour in tourism growth.
      Among the "; S16[12]=" tasks Mr Boundy expects the council to perform will be to advise companies exporting or operating abroad on how best to market themselves as Australian "; S17[12]=" businesses.
      The council 'could even brief our sporting teams on the behaviour that flows from these brand values.
      "; S18[12]=" That's when you start to really make progress when you get individuals behind it,' Mr Boundy said.
      'A lot of people "; S19[12]=" reel back from the idea that you can build a nation into a brand.
      There are obviously a lot more variables in "; S20[12]=" a country than, say, the branding of a car or a clothing label, but it can be done.' He said that there had been "; S21[12]=" a lack of coherence and consistency in the way Australia promoted itself abroad.
      The results of the review of Brand Australia and "; S22[12]=" the activities of the brand council aimed to bring that to an end.
      The tourist commission's new $27 million marketing campaign "; S23[12]=" will highlight Australian traits such as inclusiveness, openness and optimism - characteristics to be incorporated into guidelines to be used by the brand council... "; R[13]="2582"; T[13]="Otway Fly a Huge Success"; A[13]="By ... Editor"; Dn[13]="20040416"; Dt[13]="Friday 16 April 2004"; Acats[13]="a44"; B1[13]="      More than 100,000 tourists have visited the Otway Fly, the spectacular treetop walk in the Otways hinterland, since it opened in late "; B2[13]="October last year, the Minister for Environment, John Thwaites, said today... "; B3[13]=" "; B4[13]=" "; B5[13]=" "; S1[13]="      More than 100,000 tourists have visited the Otway Fly, the spectacular treetop walk in the Otways hinterland, since it opened in late "; S2[13]=" October last year, the Minister for Environment, John Thwaites, said today.
      Speaking at the Otway Fly, Mr Thwaites said the success of "; S3[13]=" the tourist attraction showed that the development of environmentally sustainable tourism was a great way forward for the region.
      'The popularity of "; S4[13]=" the tree top walk is an outstanding example of the success of environmentally based tourism in the Otways, and along the Great Ocean Road,' Mr "; S5[13]=" Thwaites said.
      'The Bracks Government provided funding of $270,000 to the Colac-Otway Shire for the upgrading of the Phillips Track from Beech "; S6[13]=" Road, providing entry to the walk.' The walk is the longest and highest of its kind in Australia.
      It boasts a viewing "; S7[13]=" platform that is 25 metres above the ground and a spiral tower that is 45 metres above the ground.
      The 600 metre "; S8[13]=" walk gradually ascends into the Otways cool temperate rainforest of Beech, Blackwood and Mountain Ash.
      It provides opportunities for tourists to see "; S9[13]=" forest wildlife as well as forest plants.
      Mr Thwaites said tourism was the way forward for the Otways region with its spectacular "; S10[13]=" environment.
      'Tourism offers many benefits to the towns and rural communities in the area, including direct and indirect employment,' he said.
  "; S11[13]="     The Bracks Government's New Vision for the Otways Region and the Great Ocean Road Strategy were important overarching plans allowing Victorians to live "; S12[13]=" sustainably within the unique south west landscape.
      The Government has approved a $14 million budget to support its Otways Vision and within "; S13[13]=" this there are many other opportunities for tourism investment including the Great Ocean Walk.
      Mr Thwaites said the Bracks Government had recently "; S14[13]=" announced that Calco timber licences had been brought back and that logging volume had decreased by 25 per cent.
      'We have promised "; S15[13]=" a complete logging phase out by 2008,' Mr Thwaites said.
      'The success of the Otways Fly demonstrates that sustainable development can have "; S16[13]=" tremendous benefits for the region.'.. "; R[14]="2554"; T[14]="Tassie tourist influx sparks worry"; A[14]="By ... Editor"; Dn[14]="20040114"; Dt[14]="Wednesday 14 January 2004"; Acats[14]="a44a69"; B1[14]="      The $105million, 628-berth Spirit of Tasmania III will sail into Devonport from Sydney for the first time this morning with a burning "; B2[14]="question over her head: is Tasmania ready for an extra 70,000, service-savvy tourists?.. "; B3[14]=" "; B4[14]=" "; B5[14]=" "; S1[14]="      The $105million, 628-berth Spirit of Tasmania III will sail into Devonport from Sydney for the first time this morning with a burning "; S2[14]=" question over her head: is Tasmania ready for an extra 70,000, service-savvy tourists? Already more than 17,000 people have booked for the 20-hour journey from "; S3[14]=" Darling Harbour and ferry operators TT-Line predict up to 70,000 people will use the service each year, adding to the 700,000 who visited the state "; S4[14]=" last year.
      Premier Jim Bacon yesterday hailed the ferry service as another major step in Tasmania's rejuvenation, but the Tasmanian Chamber "; S5[14]=" of Commerce and Industry warned the influx of self-drive tourists could expose serious gaps in the state's service industry.
      'If you "; S6[14]=" do what the Government has done and put millions and millions of dollars not into improving Tasmania's service standards, but in marketing ..., you have "; S7[14]=" got a frightening dilemma, because you are putting thousands more people into Tasmania and not doing a lot to change the service culture on the "; S8[14]=" ground,' said chamber chief executive Damon Thomas.
      Problems highlighted by the chamber include the limitations of many small, family-owned businesses and "; S9[14]=" the lack of facilities, such as ATMs and breakfast cafes, in many regional towns.
      Mr Thomas said Tasmania's big tourism operators "; S10[14]=" were investing heavily, but many at the smaller end of the industry were either nervous about overcapitalising, or simply inexperienced.
      The "; S11[14]=" Tourism Council of Tasmania, however, dismissed the chamber's concerns, saying a recent visitor survey found 94per cent were happy with their experience.
      "; S12[14]=" 'We had a 22per cent increase in visitor numbers last year and coped extremely well,' council general manager Michael Roberts said.
      "; S13[14]=" Some popular areas were short of accommodation, but several major projects opening in the next 12 months would help alleviate bottlenecks, he said.
    "; S14[14]="   About a third of the 17,000 ferry bookings so far are from Tasmanians... "; R[15]="2540"; T[15]="Promoting the Spirit of Tasmania III"; A[15]="By ... Editor"; Dn[15]="20040107"; Dt[15]="Wednesday 7 January 2004"; Acats[15]="a44"; B1[15]="      Premier Jim Bacon will greet the Spirit of Tasmania III when it sails into in Sydney for the first time tomorrow.... "; B2[15]=" "; B3[15]=" "; B4[15]=" "; B5[15]=" "; S1[15]="      Premier Jim Bacon will greet the Spirit of Tasmania III when it sails into in Sydney for the first time tomorrow.
  "; S2[15]="     Mr Bacon will participate in a number of promotional events over the next week in the lead up to the ship’s inaugural voyage, "; S3[15]=" which will leave Sydney on Tuesday 13 January.
      Mr Bacon will join ship’s captain Jim Lewis in a media conference when the "; S4[15]=" Spirit of Tasmania III docks at Circular Quay tomorrow morning.
      Mr Bacon will also address tourism industry representatives at the Sydney launch "; S5[15]=" of the Spirit of Tasmania III, which will be held at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay on Thursday night.
      Around "; S6[15]=" 450 travel agents, journalists and freight clients will attend the launch, which will culminate in a fireworks display on Sydney Harbour... "; R[16]="2531"; T[16]="Huge season for tourism in Tasmania"; A[16]="By ... Editor"; Dn[16]="20040105"; Dt[16]="Monday 5 January 2004"; Acats[16]="a44a69"; B1[16]="      Tasmania is set for another bumper tourist season.
      Forward bookings are strong and tourist operators say record numbers of "; B2[16]="visitors are passing through their doors... "; B3[16]=" "; B4[16]=" "; B5[16]=" "; S1[16]="      Tasmania is set for another bumper tourist season.
      Forward bookings are strong and tourist operators say record numbers of "; S2[16]=" visitors are passing through their doors.
      They all say Hobart is on a visitor high and other hot spots are major "; S3[16]=" centres on the East Coast, Strahan and Cradle Mountain.
      Tasmanian Visitor Information Network Hobart visitor services manager Anne McVilly said a "; S4[16]=" record number of tourists had visited the Hobart centre last month.
      She said 25,029 people used the Hobart centre's services last "; S5[16]=" month, an increase of 21 per cent from December 2002.
      'We had a fantastic season last year and I think the "; S6[16]=" same is going to happen in 2004,' she said.
      Ms McVilly said people were using the centre's services to get accommodation, "; S7[16]=" find out travel times and seek new experiences.
      Tourism Tasmania chief executive Rob Gaison said forward bookings for Tasmania's Temptations Holidays "; S8[16]=" had recorded 'sensational results'.
      'It's looking extremely positive with advance bookings well above last year, which was a record year,' he "; S9[16]=" said.
      Bookings were being received for as far ahead as July and growing numbers of people from New South Wales and "; S10[16]=" Queensland were choosing to come to Tasmania, he said.
      Port Arthur tourism operations director Maria Stacey said December was a record "; S11[16]=" for the number of visitors travelling to the site _ 25,800 visitors last month, up 8 per cent from December 2002.
      "; S12[16]=" 'From Boxing Day until yesterday [January 1] we had over 11,000 people,' Ms Stacey said.
      People taking ghost tours had also "; S13[16]=" increased, with 6000 attending the night-time walks around the ruins, up 12 per cent from 2002's figure, she said.
      'I would "; S14[16]=" say it's our best December,' she said... "; R[17]="2528"; T[17]="Tassie tourist influx sparks worry"; A[17]="By ... Editor"; Dn[17]="20040114"; Dt[17]="Wednesday 14 January 2004"; Acats[17]="a44a69"; B1[17]="      The $105million, 628-berth Spirit of Tasmania III will sail into Devonport from Sydney for the first time this morning with a burning "; B2[17]="question over her head: is Tasmania ready for an extra 70,000, service-savvy tourists?.. "; B3[17]=" "; B4[17]=" "; B5[17]=" "; S1[17]="      The $105million, 628-berth Spirit of Tasmania III will sail into Devonport from Sydney for the first time this morning with a burning "; S2[17]=" question over her head: is Tasmania ready for an extra 70,000, service-savvy tourists? Already more than 17,000 people have booked for the 20-hour journey from "; S3[17]=" Darling Harbour and ferry operators TT-Line predict up to 70,000 people will use the service each year, adding to the 700,000 who visited the state "; S4[17]=" last year.
      Premier Jim Bacon yesterday hailed the ferry service as another major step in Tasmania's rejuvenation, but the Tasmanian Chamber "; S5[17]=" of Commerce and Industry warned the influx of self-drive tourists could expose serious gaps in the state's service industry.
      'If you "; S6[17]=" do what the Government has done and put millions and millions of dollars not into improving Tasmania's service standards, but in marketing ..., you have "; S7[17]=" got a frightening dilemma, because you are putting thousands more people into Tasmania and not doing a lot to change the service culture on the "; S8[17]=" ground,' said chamber chief executive Damon Thomas.
      Problems highlighted by the chamber include the limitations of many small, family-owned businesses and "; S9[17]=" the lack of facilities, such as ATMs and breakfast cafes, in many regional towns.
      Mr Thomas said Tasmania's big tourism operators "; S10[17]=" were investing heavily, but many at the smaller end of the industry were either nervous about overcapitalising, or simply inexperienced.
      The "; S11[17]=" Tourism Council of Tasmania, however, dismissed the chamber's concerns, saying a recent visitor survey found 94per cent were happy with their experience.
      "; S12[17]=" 'We had a 22per cent increase in visitor numbers last year and coped extremely well,' council general manager Michael Roberts said.
      "; S13[17]=" Some popular areas were short of accommodation, but several major projects opening in the next 12 months would help alleviate bottlenecks, he said.
    "; S14[17]="   About a third of the 17,000 ferry bookings so far are from Tasmanians... "; R[18]="2514"; T[18]="Promoting the Spirit of Tasmania III"; A[18]="By ... Editor"; Dn[18]="20040107"; Dt[18]="Wednesday 7 January 2004"; Acats[18]="a44"; B1[18]="      Premier Jim Bacon will greet the Spirit of Tasmania III when it sails into in Sydney for the first time tomorrow.... "; B2[18]=" "; B3[18]=" "; B4[18]=" "; B5[18]=" "; S1[18]="      Premier Jim Bacon will greet the Spirit of Tasmania III when it sails into in Sydney for the first time tomorrow.
  "; S2[18]="     Mr Bacon will participate in a number of promotional events over the next week in the lead up to the ship’s inaugural voyage, "; S3[18]=" which will leave Sydney on Tuesday 13 January.
      Mr Bacon will join ship’s captain Jim Lewis in a media conference when the "; S4[18]=" Spirit of Tasmania III docks at Circular Quay tomorrow morning.
      Mr Bacon will also address tourism industry representatives at the Sydney launch "; S5[18]=" of the Spirit of Tasmania III, which will be held at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay on Thursday night.
      Around "; S6[18]=" 450 travel agents, journalists and freight clients will attend the launch, which will culminate in a fireworks display on Sydney Harbour... "; R[19]="2505"; T[19]="Huge season for tourism in Tasmania"; A[19]="By ... Editor"; Dn[19]="20040105"; Dt[19]="Monday 5 January 2004"; Acats[19]="a44a69"; B1[19]="      Tasmania is set for another bumper tourist season.
      Forward bookings are strong and tourist operators say record numbers of "; B2[19]="visitors are passing through their doors... "; B3[19]=" "; B4[19]=" "; B5[19]=" "; S1[19]="      Tasmania is set for another bumper tourist season.
      Forward bookings are strong and tourist operators say record numbers of "; S2[19]=" visitors are passing through their doors.
      They all say Hobart is on a visitor high and other hot spots are major "; S3[19]=" centres on the East Coast, Strahan and Cradle Mountain.
      Tasmanian Visitor Information Network Hobart visitor services manager Anne McVilly said a "; S4[19]=" record number of tourists had visited the Hobart centre last month.
      She said 25,029 people used the Hobart centre's services last "; S5[19]=" month, an increase of 21 per cent from December 2002.
      'We had a fantastic season last year and I think the "; S6[19]=" same is going to happen in 2004,' she said.
      Ms McVilly said people were using the centre's services to get accommodation, "; S7[19]=" find out travel times and seek new experiences.
      Tourism Tasmania chief executive Rob Gaison said forward bookings for Tasmania's Temptations Holidays "; S8[19]=" had recorded 'sensational results'.
      'It's looking extremely positive with advance bookings well above last year, which was a record year,' he "; S9[19]=" said.
      Bookings were being received for as far ahead as July and growing numbers of people from New South Wales and "; S10[19]=" Queensland were choosing to come to Tasmania, he said.
      Port Arthur tourism operations director Maria Stacey said December was a record "; S11[19]=" for the number of visitors travelling to the site _ 25,800 visitors last month, up 8 per cent from December 2002.
      "; S12[19]=" 'From Boxing Day until yesterday [January 1] we had over 11,000 people,' Ms Stacey said.
      People taking ghost tours had also "; S13[19]=" increased, with 6000 attending the night-time walks around the ruins, up 12 per cent from 2002's figure, she said.
      'I would "; S14[19]=" say it's our best December,' she said... "; R[20]="2478"; T[20]="Harvey Norman turns to tourism"; A[20]="By ... Editor"; Dn[20]="20031212"; Dt[20]="Friday 12 December 2003"; Acats[20]="a44"; B1[20]="      Retailer Gerry Harvey appears in his own commercials urging consumers to go Harvey Norman - but soon he will be urging them "; B2[20]="to go to Byron Bay... "; B3[20]=" "; B4[20]=" "; B5[20]=" "; S1[20]="      Retailer Gerry Harvey appears in his own commercials urging consumers to 'go Harvey Norman' - but soon he will be urging them "; S2[20]=" to go to Byron Bay.
      Mr Harvey yesterday unveiled plans for a $45 million resort he and his public company were developing "; S3[20]=" in a joint venture at Byron.
      The luxury 92-unit complex will be developed on the site of the former Everglades tourist attraction "; S4[20]=" on Suffolk Park beachfront, opposite Byron Bay golf club.
      Local green groups fought against redevelopment of the site when it was first "; S5[20]=" proposed in the 1990s and the NSW Land and Environment Court vetoed the Byron Shire Council's refusal to approve a resort.
      Mr "; S6[20]=" Harvey said he was confident 'even the most rabid greenies' would support his proposal, which includes a bushland revegetation project involving 250,000 plants, 'ecologically sensitive' "; S7[20]=" boardwalks and viewing platforms and on-site water and sewage treatment systems.
      'Hopefully the locals, when they see some of the things I'm "; S8[20]=" going to do up there, will visit it and say 'I'm glad that mob came up and did that',' the tycoon said.
      "; S9[20]=" He said he first visited Byron Bay as a student in the 1950s and fell in love with the town's character and laid-back atmosphere.
  "; S10[20]="     'You can walk down the street and see a solicitor, a doctor, a businessman and a hippy and can't tell which one's which "; S11[20]=" sometimes,' Mr Harvey said.
      'It's very special - a unique place in Australia - and you can see why a lot of "; S12[20]=" locals want to keep it that way.' Mr Harvey admitted he was a reluctant developer, as retailing - not tourism - was his core business.
"; S13[20]="       But he said that when he was badgered by real estate agents into seeing the site, he thought it was 'bloody fantastic'.
"; S14[20]="       The retailer said while some Harvey Norman shareholders might not approve of the company branching into resort development, he was taking half "; S15[20]=" the risk.
      He said the name chosen for the resort was being kept under wraps, but promised he had not yielded to "; S16[20]=" the spruiker in him.
      'I can tell you it won't be called the Harvey Norman at Byron,' Mr Harvey chuckled... "; R[21]="2465"; T[21]="Victoria launches tourism story book"; A[21]="By ... Editor"; Dn[21]="20031209"; Dt[21]="Tuesday 9 December 2003"; Acats[21]="a44a65"; B1[21]="      Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos last night welcomed the further growth of Victoria s Aboriginal tourism sector and the expansion of tourism attractions "; B2[21]="along the Great Ocean Road... "; B3[21]=" "; B4[21]=" "; B5[21]=" "; S1[21]="      Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos last night welcomed the further growth of Victoria's Aboriginal tourism sector and the expansion of tourism attractions along "; S2[21]=" the Great Ocean Road.
      Speaking at the launch of an Aboriginal storybook for children, Turtle Tours, and a series of tourism brochures, "; S3[21]=" Mr Pandazopoulos said the Bracks Government was committed to expanding the Aboriginal tourism sector.
      'Turtle Tours, is by noted children's author Maxine "; S4[21]=" Philp-Wright, and the brochures promote Tower Hill, west of Warrnambool on the Great Ocean Road, which is a tourism initiative of the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal "; S5[21]=" Cooperative,' Mr Pandazopoulos said.
      'Turtle Tours features a character called Wornee G, the Worn Gundidj logo, and provides an environmental and historical "; S6[21]=" overview of Tower Hill along with highlights of the Great Ocean Road.
      'The Government, through Tourism Victoria, has been working with Victoria's "; S7[21]=" Aboriginal tourism community and the peak national indigenous tourism body Aboriginal Tourism Australia over a number of years.
      'Our aim has been "; S8[21]=" to progressively encourage the development of Victoria's Aboriginal tourism segment.' The Great Ocean Road is Victoria's most visited region outside of Melbourne, attracting over 2.9 "; S9[21]=" million domestic overnight visitors, 4.7 million day-trips and 162,000 international visitors in 2002.
      'Tourism is a key economic activity for the region "; S10[21]=" employing over 7,000 people and generating an expenditure of an estimated $950 million,' Mr Pandazopoulos said.
      'Future development of the Great Ocean "; S11[21]=" Road must include new tourism product which expands the touring route experience, particularly those which take traffic from the Great Ocean Road coastal route and "; S12[21]=" build interest in the hinterland and the Warrnambool area.
      'This book and brochure will offer visitors another reason to stay longer in "; S13[21]=" the region and to explore further.' Mr Pandazopoulos said that Australia's indigenous culture was a distinct and valuable tourism attraction in a highly competitive market.
"; S14[21]="       'The value of tourism for the Aboriginal community is its ability to foster a sense of pride in Aboriginal life while at "; S15[21]=" the same time creating greater awareness among the wider community.'.. "; R[22]="2453"; T[22]="Sustained growth in Tasmanian tourism"; A[22]="By ... Editor"; Dn[22]="20031208"; Dt[22]="Monday 8 December 2003"; Acats[22]="a44"; B1[22]="      Premier Jim Bacon announced today an estimated 129,000 visitors came to Tasmania by scheduled air and sea transport in the quarter to "; B2[22]="September 2003, an increase of 29 per cent on the three months to September 2002... "; B3[22]=" "; B4[22]=" "; B5[22]=" "; S1[22]="      Premier Jim Bacon announced today an estimated 129,000 visitors came to Tasmania by scheduled air and sea transport in the quarter to "; S2[22]=" September 2003, an increase of 29 per cent on the three months to September 2002.
      'These quarter figures show that Tasmania is "; S3[22]=" on track for another bumper year.' Mr Bacon said preliminary Tasmanian Visitor Survey results showed expenditure had increased by 35.5 per cent to $144 million, "; S4[22]=" and visitor nights were up by 24.5 per cent to 1.155 million.
      'Holiday visitor numbers for the quarter increased by 32 per "; S5[22]=" cent to 51,100, people visiting friends and relatives increased by 33.1 per cent to 36,200, while business travellers increased by 26.2 per cent to 32,400.
"; S6[22]="       'These results are further indicators of the State's strong economic position.
      'Sustained visitor growth continues to underpin tourism business "; S7[22]=" and investor confidence, resulting in multi-million dollar tourism development and more jobs - and not just in the tourism sector - we are seeing new "; S8[22]=" jobs in other business sectors including retail, service construction and transport.' Mr Bacon said a highlight of the visitor numbers was the increase in visitors "; S9[22]=" coming to the State for Short Break holidays (1-3 nights).
      'The State Government, through Tourism Tasmania, strategically targets the Short Breaks market, "; S10[22]=" particularly this year with a cheeky new campaign in Victoria intended to raise Tasmania's profile as an ideal weekend away destination.
      'Interstate "; S11[22]=" visitors staying 1-3 nights in the State increased by 64 per cent to 9850 in the three months to September 2003.
      'From "; S12[22]=" Victoria, we have seen 87 per cent growth in Short Break visitors to 7500, a strong indication of the success of our targeted marketing campaigns.
"; S13[22]="       'Through the innovative use of the marketing dollar, Tourism Tasmania will continue to focus on attracting high-yielding visitors from this market.' Mr "; S14[22]=" Bacon said the State Government was working closely with the Tasmanian tourism industry to ensure a managed and sustainable approach to tourism in the State.
"; S15[22]="       'The current work being done to implement the Cradle Valley Tourism Precinct Plan, which was released in June and Stage One opened "; S16[22]=" by myself on Saturday (November 29), is a model which will be used for future sustainable development of tourism throughout the State,' he said.
  "; S17[22]="     'This Plan, along with the Freycinet Tourism Precinct Plan due for completion in April 2004, provides a comprehensive framework for tourism infrastructure in "; S18[22]=" the area.
      'In Tasmania we carry a huge responsibility of being custodians of some of the world's most precious assets.
    "; S19[22]="   'While Tasmania's tourism industry is booming, we are working together to ensure the common goal of a sustainable, successful and integrated tourism industry.' Mr "; S20[22]=" Bacon said the growth in visitors arriving by scheduled air and sea transport could be almost directly attributed to lifting the lid off access to "; S21[22]=" the State.
      'Visitors arriving by sea increased by 13,200 visitors (63 per cent) to 34,300 in the three months to September 2003.
"; S22[22]="       'This is to take nothing away from visitors arriving by air, which also increased by 16,200 visitors (21 per cent) to 94,800.
"; S23[22]="       'By introducing the fast twin ship service between Melbourne and Tasmania and fostering stable, competitively priced air access through Qantas, Virgin Blue "; S24[22]=" and Regional Express, we have broken down the traditional access barrier for visitors coming to Tasmania.
      'And with the introduction of Spirit "; S25[22]=" of Tasmania III between Sydney and Tasmania on January 13, we will continue to build on this success.'.. "; R[23]="2444"; T[23]="International Tourism Focus for Victoria"; A[23]="By ... Editor"; Dn[23]="20031205"; Dt[23]="Friday 5 December 2003"; Acats[23]="a44"; B1[23]="      Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos today told delegates at two important industry events that he was confident Victoria would continue to lead the "; B2[23]="way in combating external threats to the tourism sector... "; B3[23]=" "; B4[23]=" "; B5[23]=" "; S1[23]="      Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos today told delegates at two important industry events that he was confident Victoria would continue to lead the "; S2[23]=" way in combating external threats to the tourism sector.
      Mr Pandazopoulos told Victoria University's International Tourism Conference in Melbourne, that Victoria was "; S3[23]=" outperforming other States, such as New South Wales and Queensland, in maintaining numbers of international visitors, in the face of downturns caused by SARS, poor "; S4[23]=" world economic conditions and global uncertainty.
      'Despite these factors Victoria experienced only a one per cent fall in the number of international "; S5[23]=" visitors in the year to June 2003 - with 1.2 million international visitors coming to Victoria,' he said.
      'This compares favourably to "; S6[23]=" other States, with New South Wales down 6 per cent over the same period, Queensland down 4 cent and South Australia decreasing 9 per cent.
"; S7[23]="       'Between 1999 and 2002, the number of international visitors to Victoria increased at an average of more than four per cent per "; S8[23]=" year.
      'This translates to an extra 130,000 international visitors and an extra $182 million in spending in our State.
      "; S9[23]=" 'Other encouraging signs announced recently include the first China Eastern Airlines flights directly from Melbourne to Shanghai to begin on December 16.' 'Mr Pandazopoulos said "; S10[23]=" October figures from Melbourne Airport indicated that despite the external factors impacting on the industry, international arrivals were down only 2 per cent on the "; S11[23]=" same three month period last year.
      'These are fantastic results for Victoria and are due to the hard work of our operators "; S12[23]=" and extra funding for marketing from the Bracks Government,' Mr Pandazopoulos said.
      The tourism industry is a major contributor to the State's "; S13[23]=" economy, with international visitors spending an average of nearly $1,400 per visit, adding up to a contribution of $2.1 billion in expenditure each year.
  "; S14[23]="     Mr Pandazopoulos also attended Victoria's International Tourism Exchange today at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre.
      'This is an important "; S15[23]=" industry event to ensure our internationally focussed tourism operators are aware of our international marketing strategies,' Mr Pandazopoulos said.
      Victoria's International Exchange "; S16[23]=" is a chance for industry representatives from companies active in the international market to meet with Tourism Victoria's International Marketing Division and discuss international campaigns, "; S17[23]=" market intelligence and promotions.
      Mr Pandazopoulos said the Bracks Government had provided an extra $47 million in this year's State budget to "; S18[23]=" support the tourism industry including: · $10 million over four years for international marketing · $15 million over three years to maximise return on existing "; S19[23]=" events and to secure new events as part of our major events program.
      · $3.6 million over two years to stage Australia's "; S20[23]=" largest international travel trade show, the Australian Tourism Exchange, in 2003 and 2004.
      · $7 million for maximising tourism opportunities in the "; S21[23]=" lead up to the Commonwealth Games 'We have shown in the past that targeted marketing campaigns are vital in attracting tourists and supporting the industry,' "; S22[23]=" he said... "; R[24]="2432"; T[24]="Tassie celebrates tourism frenzy"; A[24]="By ... Editor"; Dn[24]="20031202"; Dt[24]="Tuesday 2 December 2003"; Acats[24]="a44"; B1[24]="      Tasmania s tourism industry is expected to reap massive benefits from the weekend s tourism frenzy and the summer season.... "; B2[24]=" "; B3[24]=" "; B4[24]=" "; B5[24]=" "; S1[24]="      Tasmania's tourism industry is expected to reap massive benefits from the weekend's tourism frenzy and the summer season.
      After "; S2[24]=" arriving in Hobart yesterday morning, more than 1200 passengers from the Star Princess boarded 40 coaches for tours to various parts of Tasmania.
    "; S3[24]="   And the 160 passengers from a Singapore Airlines chartered flight that landed in Hobart yesterday boarded a further four coaches as they began their "; S4[24]=" nine-day tour of the state.
      Tigerline Coaches had the massive task of co-ordinating the coaches at the dock and the airport.
  "; S5[24]="     Welcoming the big influx, Tigerline Travel Tasmania general manager Shane Dewsbery said: 'These visits inject millions of dollars into the Tasmanian tourist industry "; S6[24]=" and benefit many businesses and attractions throughout the state, in particular the coach industry.' Passengers from the Star Princess spent only 10 hours in Tasmania "; S7[24]=" before sailing for New Zealand, so their trips took them to locations close to Hobart -- such as Bonorong Wildlife Park, the Tahune Airwalk and "; S8[24]=" the historic town of Richmond.
      The Singaporean tourists will be travelling to various locations in the North and North-West of Tasmania, including "; S9[24]=" the Tamar Valley and Cradle Mountain.
      There will be another three Singapore Airline flights to Hobart this summer, and the Star Princess "; S10[24]=" will be making another five visits between now and February 8.
      A record 22,000 passengers will cruise on the giant liner during "; S11[24]=" its cruise season in Australia this year... "; R[25]="2372"; T[25]="China set to provide tourism boom"; A[25]="By ... Editor"; Dn[25]="20031028"; Dt[25]="Tuesday 28 October 2003"; Acats[25]="a44a63"; B1[25]="      Setting their sights on China s rapidly growing middle class with hard cash for travel, Australian tourism authorities have set their sights "; B2[25]="on attracting a million Chinese visitors a year within a decade... "; B3[25]=" "; B4[25]=" "; B5[25]=" "; S1[25]="      Setting their sights on China's rapidly growing middle class with hard cash for travel, Australian tourism authorities have set their sights on "; S2[25]=" attracting a million Chinese visitors a year within a decade.
      For federal Tourism Minister Joe Hockey, that makes his industry one of "; S3[25]=" the most prospective creators of export dollars and jobs, with projected earnings from China alone equivalent to four big liquefied natural gas deals and the "; S4[25]=" job spin-off many times greater and spread more widely.
      Last year, 190,000 Chinese visitors came to Australia, each spending an average $4000, "; S5[25]=" well above the $3400 average for all nationalities.
      'One million visitors to Australia every year represents $4 billion of export income to "; S6[25]=" Australia, and particularly to regional Australia, and that is sustainable into the long-term future,' Mr Hockey said yesterday in Beijing after speaking to a tourism "; S7[25]=" industry conference.
      'It's not a project with a lifetime on it.
      It's got unlimited opportunities.' Although the SARS epidemic "; S8[25]=" cut an estimated 25,000 Chinese visitors from this year's total and the flow is not expected to return to normal until the end of November, "; S9[25]=" growth is expected to pick up quickly next year.
      During Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Australia last week, it was announced "; S10[25]=" that six of China's most go-ahead provinces and municipalities - Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Chongqing, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, with 350 million combined population - had been "; S11[25]=" added to regions whose people are permitted to join tours into Australia.
      A new air services agreement will allow each country's airlines "; S12[25]=" to fly directly between regional airports in China and Australia, with Qantas subsidiary Australian Airlines likely to fly Chinese tourists directly from their home city "; S13[25]=" through its Cairns hub.
      For people in Beijing and Shanghai, Australia is the most desired destination for foreign travel, according to a "; S14[25]=" survey taken in June and July for the Australian Tourist Commission.
      The survey's results were published yesterday.
      Mr Hockey "; S15[25]=" says Qantas is likely to resume direct flights into Shanghai soon.
      Major companies in China are starting to reward their top-performing employees "; S16[25]=" with expenses-paid trips to Australia.
      Next year, retail group Amway will send 4000 Chinese distributors.
      Pharmaceuticals company Pfizer will "; S17[25]=" send another 1700.
      'In the case of Amway, that's 10 jumbo jets full of people coming down for a two-week stay, and "; S18[25]=" each visitor is worth $4000 to the Australian economy,' Mr Hockey said.
      A special effort will be made to direct the Chinese "; S19[25]=" tourist flow to places in regional Australia such as King Island, the Pilbara, the NT, and far north Queensland to spread the benefits.
    "; S20[25]="   Mr Hockey sees the Alice Springs to Darwin railway as a drawcard for Chinese and other visitors.
      Australia's present inward tourist "; S21[25]=" flow of 5 million people a year employs about 500,000 people.
      A study for the Australian Tourist Commission estimates that each 27 "; S22[25]=" additional foreign visitors adds one more job in Australia - meaning that 1 million Chinese tourists could produce 37,000 new jobs.
      Mr "; S23[25]=" Hockey looks to China overtaking our traditional tourist mainstays (Japan with 850,000 visitors, New Zealand with 750,000 and Britain with 650,000) even sooner than 10 "; S24[25]=" years... "; R[26]="2362"; T[26]="Big Increase in Holiday Bookings for Tasmania"; A[26]="By ... Editor"; Dn[26]="20031023"; Dt[26]="Thursday 23 October 2003"; Acats[26]="a44a69"; B1[26]="      Premier Jim Bacon said today that the level of visitor interest in Tasmania is continuing to exceed all expectations.... "; B2[26]=" "; B3[26]=" "; B4[26]=" "; B5[26]=" "; S1[26]="      Premier Jim Bacon said today that the level of visitor interest in Tasmania is continuing to exceed all expectations.
      "; S2[26]=" “Tasmania’s Temptations Holidays - the component of Tourism Tasmania that sells package holidays through 4,000 Australian travel agencies - reports forward reservations for the period "; S3[26]=" from February 2004 to June 2004 are up a staggering 112 per cent on the same period last year.
      “Forward reservations for "; S4[26]=" October are up 24 per cent on figures for 2002 and total gross sales for the last quarter (July–September 2003) were 35 per cent higher "; S5[26]=" than for the same period in 2002.
      “These forward bookings are tangible evidence that Tasmania’s current tourism boom is not merely the "; S6[26]=" result of a short-term change of preference among holidaymakers but a sustainable increase in Tasmania’s desirability as a holiday destination.
      “The Government "; S7[26]=" is committed to ensuring that this increased preference for Tasmania is maintained through extensive marketing programs currently being conducted by both Tourism Tasmania and TT-Line, "; S8[26]=" and through having addressed the critical impediment of access.
      “This visitor expenditure is spread into all communities throughout the State.
    "; S9[26]="   “It puts dollars in the pockets of people from St Helens to Dover, from Smithton to Dunalley.
      “In addition, we have "; S10[26]=" responded to the increased level of consumer interest in Tasmania by extending the opening hours at Tourism Tasmania’s Customer Service Centre in Launceston.
    "; S11[26]="   “Opening hours have been increased by 33 hours a week, with the centre now open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Friday, and from "; S12[26]=" 8.30am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
      “The Customer Service Centre is also employing an additional 18 part-time and full-time staff to "; S13[26]=" assist with the move to seven-day trading.
      “All these measures have been taken to accommodate an ever-increasing number of visitors wanting to "; S14[26]=" come to Tasmania and to ensure all those visiting our State enjoy the best possible Tasmanian holiday experience.
      “Customers today are aware, "; S15[26]=" as never before, that Tasmania is a ‘hot destination’, that access is no longer a problem and that they need to book ahead to ensure "; S16[26]=" they get the kind of accommodation they prefer at the time they wish to travel.
      “In this vein I ask tourism operators "; S17[26]=" to consider their own operations to see how best they can ensure their customers have a Tasmanian holiday that fulfils all their expectations.
    "; S18[26]="   “I also encourage all tourism operators not already involved to join Tourism Tasmania’s Inventory Management System – a free online service broadly regarded to "; S19[26]=" be the future of online bookings and inventory management.” “Through IMS, operators and visitor information centres can access Nextnight Accommodation, an excellent IT-based tool for "; S20[26]=" monitoring the availability of accommodation throughout the State.
      “Both IMS and Nextnight will greatly assist holidaymakers find accommodation in the busy months "; S21[26]=" ahead.
      “Most importantly, I encourage operators already on IMS not to hold back inventory over peak periods such as the Rugby World "; S22[26]=" Cup match in Launceston and the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in the hope of being able to charge excessive prices of customers who want "; S23[26]=" to book at the last minute.” Mr Bacon also said that 12,200 tickets had been sold for the Rugby World Cup match next week at "; S24[26]=" York Park and that walk up tickets were still available... "; R[27]="2251"; T[27]="$6m vision of boutique aquarium is floated"; A[27]="By ... Editor"; Dn[27]="20030912"; Dt[27]="Friday 12 September 2003"; Acats[27]="a44a69"; B1[27]="      Final plans were unveiled yesterday for the $6 million Great Southern Aquarium at Glenorchy.... "; B2[27]=" "; B3[27]=" "; B4[27]=" "; B5[27]=" "; S1[27]="      Final plans were unveiled yesterday for the $6 million Great Southern Aquarium at Glenorchy.
      The site is at Wilkinsons "; S2[27]=" Point near the Derwent Entertainment Centre.
      Hobart developer David Hardy hopes to start construction in January for opening late next year.
"; S3[27]="       He expects to confirm funding after building approvals are received and says the completed development will be among Tasmania's top 10 "; S4[27]=" attractions.
      Mr Hardy started planning the 'boutique' aquarium 20 months ago.
      'This area is right on the "; S5[27]=" water, it's a really pretty site and has great views all the way round,' he said.
      The ground floor would have "; S6[27]=" an aquarium, a gift shop and a cafe and on the first floor there would be a function centre with a 5m window overlooking a "; S7[27]=" kelp tank.
      A boat building and furniture centre is also planned.
      Mr Hardy, a Canadian who has "; S8[27]=" lived in Tasmania for 13 years, said he would teach people how to build traditional open Canadian cedar strip and canvas canoes, and work could "; S9[27]=" be displayed in the furniture centre.
      'Over the last 20 months I have travelled and looked at aquariums in Australia, the US "; S10[27]=" and Canada,' he said.
      'This will be unique in the world because we will feature fish endemic to this area.' "; S11[27]=" Mr Hardy, who redeveloped the former Woody's Roller World building in Collins St, Hobart, said his idea for an aquarium came when he was considering "; S12[27]=" another project.
      'I was snorkelling down at Tinderbox when a seahorse came up right in front of my mask and I "; S13[27]=" was really excited so I started to develop the idea,' he said.
      The aquarium's biggest tank would be the kelp tank "; S14[27]=" at 15m by 6m by 7m and there would be 60 other tanks of various sizes.
      'When people leave I want "; S15[27]=" them to have learned something and have been fascinated by it,' Mr Hardy said.
      He proposed to have sound zones using "; S16[27]=" directional speakers featuring Tasmanian musicians.
      And, when the aquarium was profitable, he hoped some of the profits could be used to "; S17[27]=" develop more art such as sculptures... "; R[28]="2250"; T[28]="South Australia a jewels shown off in the US"; A[28]="By ... Editor"; Dn[28]="20030912"; Dt[28]="Friday 12 September 2003"; Acats[28]="a44a68"; B1[28]="      Millions of Americans are being told about the wonders of Adelaide and Kangaroo Island in Australia s biggest tourism promotion in the "; B2[28]="US... "; B3[28]=" "; B4[28]=" "; B5[28]=" "; S1[28]="      Millions of Americans are being told about the wonders of Adelaide and Kangaroo Island in Australia's biggest tourism promotion in the US.
"; S2[28]="       Kangaroo Island and the city are the key elements of a $10 million television, print and Internet campaign.
      The "; S3[28]=" Have You Ever promotion, launched this week, will feature advertisements on major cable networks, including Fox News, Headline News, History Channel, CNBC, Discovery and the "; S4[28]=" Travel Channel.
      Advertisements also will appear in major US newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, San Diego Tribune, San "; S5[28]=" Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune and USA Today.
      Have You Ever ads and editorial will appear in National Geographic's "; S6[28]=" Traveler and Adventure magazines.
      'The National Geographic Channel will also feature a five-part series, called Tours Australia, with a story on Kangaroo "; S7[28]=" Island as well as on Coober Pedy.
      The channel reaches more than 40 million homes in the United States,' Australian Tourist Commission "; S8[28]=" communications executive Kim Moore said yesterday.
      The campaign has been supported by the South Australian Tourism Commission.
      The advertisements "; S9[28]=" describe Adelaide as 'a beautiful city renowned for its warm and friendly people, art, culture and wine' and Kangaroo Island as 'an exciting wilderness vacation "; S10[28]=" destination and home to Australia's largest koala colony'.
      The Qantas holidays website in the US also promotes the KI-Adelaide package trip.
  "; S11[28]="     The campaign was great news for tourism operators and their employees on the island, Tourism Kangaroo Island chairman Chris Schumann said yesterday.
  "; S12[28]="     'Travellers from the US really enjoy Kangaroo Island.
      They see it as a microcosm of the rest of Australia, the "; S13[28]=" nature, the wildlife, and they visit an authentic regional area,' Mr Schumann said.
      SA needed an iconic drawcard for international and interstate "; S14[28]=" visitors, he said.
      'The Australian Tourist Commission and Qantas have realised that Kangaroo Island is a great drawcard for getting people to "; S15[28]=" South Australia,' Mr Schumann said.
      'They'll visit other areas like (the) Barossa Valley or Flinders Ranges, but the big drawcard is Kangaroo "; S16[28]=" Island,' he said... "; R[29]="2248"; T[29]="Tourism in WA gains new focus"; A[29]="By ... Editor"; Dn[29]="20030912"; Dt[29]="Friday 12 September 2003"; Acats[29]="a44a67"; B1[29]="      Future tourist promotion of the State will move away from mass-media marketing of destinations to focus on attracting specific types of tourists.... "; B2[29]=" "; B3[29]=" "; B4[29]=" "; B5[29]=" "; S1[29]="      Future tourist promotion of the State will move away from mass-media marketing of destinations to focus on attracting specific types of tourists.
"; S2[29]="       Under a five-year strategic plan to be launched in Perth today, WA's tourism marketing will have greater emphasis on maximising the number "; S3[29]=" of event and business-based tourists.
      Another key part of the Pathways Forward strategic plan is the better development of tourism infrastructure.
  "; S4[29]="     The strategic plan has set a target of increasing visitor spending by 10 per cent more than the national average.
      "; S5[29]=" It also aims to increase recognition of WA's iconic tourism experiences by potential visitors.
      The plan sets a goal that, by 2008, "; S6[29]=" at least 20 per cent of potential visitors will be aware of what WA has to offer.
      The WA Tourism Commission is "; S7[29]=" replacing the State's 10 regional tourism associations with five that representing bigger geographical zones.
      Tourism Minister Bob Kucera said the industry was "; S8[29]=" going through significant changes that were designed to streamline and improve marketing and increase WA's global profile.
      In recent years, the tourism "; S9[29]=" industry worldwide has been hurt by the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Bali bombings, the outbreak of the SARS virus and war in Iraq.
  "; S10[29]="     Arrival figures due to be released today are expected to indicate a recovery in visitor numbers after record falls this year.
    "; S11[29]="   Premier Geoff Gallop has said a recent study revealed an accommodation shortage in major tourist destinations such as Broome and Margaret River.
    "; S12[29]="   But the State Government blocked the Mauds Landing marina development for Coral Bay and has again delayed the completion of the final section of "; S13[29]=" the Indian Ocean Drive - a road which is seen as crucial to planned developments in the Wheatbelt and Mid-West regions.
      Mr "; S14[29]=" Kucera said a healthy tourism industry was important to the economic growth of the State.
      It would take WA beyond its traditional "; S15[29]=" reliance on mining, resources and agriculture, he said.
      Mr Kucera said it would also mean jobs and thriving regional economies... "; R[30]="2226"; T[30]="Come Fly with me, up among the tall timber"; A[30]="By ... Editor"; Dn[30]="20030909"; Dt[30]="Tuesday 9 September 2003"; Acats[30]="a39a42a44"; B1[30]="      It is the longest and highest canopy walkway of its kind in the world, across mossy treetops to luscious rainforest and from "; B2[30]="today offers a bird s-eye view for visitors to the Otway Ranges... "; B3[30]=" "; B4[30]=" "; B5[30]=" "; S1[30]="      It is the longest and highest canopy walkway of its kind in the world, across mossy treetops to luscious rainforest and from "; S2[30]=" today offers a bird's-eye view for visitors to the Otway Ranges.
      The Otway Fly stretches across 600 metres and is 25 metres "; S3[30]=" high, an elevated steel walkway that weaves through cool temperate rainforest featuring myrtle beech, blackwood and majestic mountain ash.
      Only two other "; S4[30]=" canopy walks made entirely of steel exist and they are both in Australia, in the Valley of the Giants in Western Australia and the Huon "; S5[30]=" Valley in Tasmania.
      Visitors walk a loop ascending into the treetops and then on to luscious ground-level rainforest and Youngs Creek.
  "; S6[30]="     For more adventurous eco-tourists there is a spiral staircase that leads to a 50-metre-high lookout tower, giving a 360 degree view of the "; S7[30]=" forest.
      It has a cantilever section that can move and sway over a 25-metre drop.
      Outdoor supervisor Bruce Jackson "; S8[30]=" believes the different perspective will give visitors a better understanding of the unique environment of the Otway Ranges, an area that has been the focus "; S9[30]=" of battles between environmentalists and the logging industry.
      'Eco-tourism is about getting people out into the environment,' he said.
      "; S10[30]=" 'The whole idea with our tours is education.
      You can walk in the forest anywhere but to actually be up here you "; S11[30]=" can see the birds, when its windy you can see the trees moving.' Simon Birrell, of the Otway Ranges Environment Network, is pleased that the "; S12[30]=" opening of the Fly will give people access to the area again and preserve the natural environment.
      '(We're) generally pretty happy with "; S13[30]=" the whole concept of it,' he said.
      'People need to see it first-hand to value it and that's one way of doing "; S14[30]=" it.
      It's a great way to get people into the area to experience it first hand.' The Otway Fly is open from "; S15[30]=" 9am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day.
      Admission for adults is $11, $6 for children and a family ticket is $30.
"; S16[30]="       For more information visit www.otwayfly.com or phone 1800 300 477... "; R[31]="2213"; T[31]="Boom time in Tasmanian tourism"; A[31]="By ... Editor"; Dn[31]="20030908"; Dt[31]="Monday 8 September 2003"; Acats[31]="a44a69"; B1[31]="      Tasmainia has attracted more than 700,000 visitors for the first time.... "; B2[31]=" "; B3[31]=" "; B4[31]=" "; B5[31]=" "; S1[31]="      Tasmainia has attracted more than 700,000 visitors for the first time.
      Cheap Internet air fares, increased ferry crossings and "; S2[31]=" concerns about global secur ity lured a record 703,100 people to the state last financial year - a 22 per cent improvement.
      "; S3[31]=" They spent a total of $945 million, stayed an average of 9.8 nights and spent an average of $147 a night.
      Premier "; S4[31]=" Jim Bacon announced the results of the visitor survey yesterday, and said tourists were fuelling an investment boom.
      About $330 million worth "; S5[31]=" of tourism ventures were 'under construction or under consideration', and related infrastructure commitments - including roads and sewerage upgrades, and the new twin ferries - "; S6[31]=" equated to another $1 billion.
      'We have broken the 700,000 mark for the first time,' Mr Bacon said.
      'The "; S7[31]=" numbers have surpassed all our expectations.' He said further growth was expected, though it might not be at the same levels.
      The "; S8[31]=" introduction of the Sydney-Devonport ferry, Spirit of Tasmania III, in January would further boost visitor numbers.
      'A factor in the increase in "; S9[31]=" visitors is the capacity for much cheaper air fares,' Mr Bacon said.
      The arrival of Virgin Blue and Regional Express after the "; S10[31]=" collapse of Ansett had led to cheaper Internet fares and more seats.
      Tourism Council Tasmania chairman Simon Currant, who announced the figures "; S11[31]=" with Mr Bacon yesterday, said sea passenger numbers were expected to grow by between 51,000 and 70,000 people a year when the new ferry started "; S12[31]=" sailing.
      'It is likely the third ship and the marketing that surrounds its introduction will result in another exciting growth phase,' he "; S13[31]=" said.
      Mr Currant said Tasmania was 'the flavour of the month' and investment opportunities were continuing to grow.
      'We "; S14[31]=" have got a natural product that's sustainable forever.
      The investment here is not boom or bust,' he said.
      Tasmania "; S15[31]=" recorded a small increase in the number of international arrivals, despite global security concerns.
      Mr Bacon said there had also been a "; S16[31]=" jump of 20 per cent in the number of people visiting from North America, despite concerns that sector had shown about international travel since its "; S17[31]=" terrorist attacks... "; R[32]="2158"; T[32]="US tourists prefer Australia"; A[32]="By ... Editor"; Dn[32]="20030825"; Dt[32]="Monday 25 August 2003"; Acats[32]="a44"; B1[32]="      When Americans dream of their ideal holiday destination they dream of Australia, according to a new US poll.... "; B2[32]=" "; B3[32]=" "; B4[32]=" "; B5[32]=" "; S1[32]="      When Americans dream of their ideal holiday destination they dream of Australia, according to a new US poll.
      And "; S2[32]=" that's great timing for the Australian Tourist Commission, which this week launches a $US6.5 million ($A10 million) ad campaign in the US to entice Americans "; S3[32]=" to act on that dream.
      The commission's vice-president for the Americas, Michael Londregan, said the campaign, based on the line 'Australia.
  "; S4[32]="     Have You Ever?', would 'reposition' Australia.
      'Our campaigns have shown Americans what they can see in Australia - this time "; S5[32]=" we are going to add another layer,' he said.
      Australia was voted the top destination for the seventh year in a row "; S6[32]=" in a poll by Harris Interactive, released on Friday.
      The commission also intends to drive home the message that Australia is not "; S7[32]=" as expensive as Americans often think, Mr Londregan said.
      In terms of cost of living, Sydney emerged 35th in a city survey "; S8[32]=" by Swiss bank UBS, 37 per cent cheaper than New York, which ranked fourth... "; R[33]="2077"; T[33]="Resort plan for Darwin, Alice"; A[33]="By ... Editor"; Dn[33]="20030811"; Dt[33]="Monday 11 August 2003"; Acats[33]="a44"; B1[33]="      The Government is planning to end the Territory s tourism woes with the construction of multi-million dollar eco-tourist resorts in Darwin and "; B2[33]="Alice Springs... "; B3[33]=" "; B4[33]=" "; B5[33]=" "; S1[33]="      The Government is planning to end the Territory's tourism woes with the construction of multi-million dollar eco-tourist resorts in Darwin and Alice "; S2[33]=" Springs.
      According to the Sunday Territorian, the NT Government will mount a campaign to have high-quality resorts built on Darwin Harbour and "; S3[33]=" in Central Australia.
      The NT Government is about to call for expressions of interest from developers to build the resorts which "; S4[33]=" will stand as tourist attractions in their own right.
      It's understood the Government will limit the Darwin resort proposal to a "; S5[33]=" low-rise, environmentally-friendly development that 'fits in with Darwin's tropical surrounds'.
      And the Government wants a developer to build or expand a "; S6[33]=" resort in Central Australia.
      The Government's Tourism Development Masterplan 2000-05 recommended the promotion and facilitation of destinational resorts being developed in "; S7[33]=" Darwin and Alice Springs.
      The masterplan 2000-05 was developed in consultation with the tourism industry, government and community.
      "; S8[33]=" It is believed the Government wants to gauge private sector interest in such a project and flush out any potential investors.
      "; S9[33]=" However, the Government will be emphasising that any risk associated with the development, ownership and operation of such a resort would lie with the "; S10[33]=" developer.
      It is understood the Government would only help facilitate any project.
      The emphasis will be on "; S11[33]=" the project being a holiday destination in its own right, in order to compete with national and international markets.
      Such a "; S12[33]=" resort would be expected to offer activities and interests complementing the different seasons to attract visitors on a year-round basis.
      Developers "; S13[33]=" will be encouraged to nominate preferred locations.
      The Government is believed to be looking at taking a similar approach to seeking "; S14[33]=" expressions of interest to develop and/or expand a tourist resort in Alice Springs... "; R[34]="2018"; T[34]="Tourism the key to success for small wineries"; A[34]="By ... Editor"; Dn[34]="20030618"; Dt[34]="Wednesday 18 June 2003"; Acats[34]="a13a44a67"; B1[34]="      Tourists travelling on any highway in southern WA and you will pass a winery, but you will seldom see many of the "; B2[34]="labels in bottle shop outlets... "; B3[34]=" "; B4[34]=" "; B5[34]=" "; S1[34]="      Tourists travelling on any highway in southern WA and you will pass a winery, but you will seldom see many of the "; S2[34]=" labels in bottle shop outlets.
      Getting a new label out there is getting harder and harder.
      The number "; S3[34]=" of small winemakers in Australia has trebled to 1600 - with 243 operating in WA.
      A few sell wine through Coles and "; S4[34]=" Woolworths, but for most aspiring vignerons the retail outlook is bleak.
      'Anyone who releases a new brand will not be able to "; S5[34]=" get that bottle on a retail shelf unless they do something really extraordinary,' Winemakers Federation of Australia chief executive Ian Sutton said.
      "; S6[34]=" The federation sent fact sheets this month to every winery in Australia, advising them to develop wine tourism, estimated to be worth $950 million annually "; S7[34]=" to the economy.
      Mr Sutton said benefits of cellar door sales, chalets, restaurants, cafes, galleries and craft shops were income stream and "; S8[34]=" label exposure.
      In the Ferguson Valley developing wine region east of Bunbury, only Willow Bridge, the biggest of seven wineries at 30,000 "; S9[34]=" cases a year, sells through retail outlets.
      Owner Jeff Dewar said his family invest in 100 acres of vineyards in 1997 "; S10[34]=" and got major distribution by producing consistent quantity and quality and employing a winemaker with important retail contacts.
      But former schoolteachers Cheryl "; S11[34]=" and David Rourke, owners of King Tree Estate and Lodge, said grape sales, which had provided a third of their income, could no longer be "; S12[34]=" relied on.
      They were building a cellar door cafe in addition to running a luxury adult resort... "; R[35]="2009"; T[35]="Tourism Campaign Targets Korean Honeymoon Market"; A[35]="By ... Editor"; Dn[35]="20030617"; Dt[35]="Tuesday 17 June 2003"; Acats[35]="a44"; B1[35]="      Korean honeymooners are the target of a now advertising campaign which aims boost Australia s growing popularity as a destination for romantic "; B2[35]="holidays... "; B3[35]=" "; B4[35]=" "; B5[35]=" "; S1[35]="      Korean honeymooners are the target of a now advertising campaign which aims boost Australia's growing popularity as a destination for romantic holidays.
"; S2[35]="       Speaking at the Australian Tourism Exchange in Melbourne today, Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) Managing Director Ken Boundy said targeting honeymooners would enable "; S3[35]=" Australia to tap into the enormous potential of the Korean travel market.
      'Consumer confidence in many of our tourism markets remains flat, "; S4[35]=" and there is still a reluctance to travel overseas for holidays.
      Therefore, we need to identify consumers who are looking to travel "; S5[35]=" now, such as the Korean travel sector,' Mr Boundy said.
      'Unlike many other countries in the Asia region, the Korean travel market, "; S6[35]=" including honeymooners remain relatively unaffected by recent events, with travellers continuing to holiday overseas.
      'There has been significant growth in the number "; S7[35]=" of Korean couples travelling to Australia in recent years.
      Couples now make up one third of all visitors from Korea - highlighting "; S8[35]=" the opportunities this niche segment has to offer the industry.
      'In the past four years the number of Korean couples choosing to "; S9[35]=" holiday in Australia has almost doubled, jumping from 30,000 couples in 1999 to 57,000 in 2002 - a trend which we expect to continue in "; S10[35]=" coming years.
      'Australia is a highly desirable destination for the Korean honeymooner, with all the right elements for the perfect honeymoon - "; S11[35]=" beaches, city life and exceptional accommodation.' Mr Boundy said the ATC had already successfully promoted Australia to the honeymoon sector in Japan for over a "; S12[35]=" decade, and was now looking to break into the honeymoon segment in a number of other countries including Korea, as well as the United States.
"; S13[35]="       'A new push for the honeymoon market was made last year in the United States to reposition Australia as a 'romantic' holiday "; S14[35]=" destination - a position usually held by the South Pacific.
      We are now looking to strengthen our appeal in Korea.' 'The outlook "; S15[35]=" for this market is strong with arrivals from Korea expected to grow by 15.1 per cant next year and start to return to pre-Asian financial "; S16[35]=" crisis figures experienced in 1997.' The new campaign being run in conjunction with industry partners Hanwha Tourmall and Tourism Queensland targets honeymooners by promoting six-day "; S17[35]=" holiday packages to Sydney and the Gold Coast.
      This is part of a larger campaign, 'Feel Free in Australia' which also targets "; S18[35]=" families and golfers.
      Visitor arrivals from South Korea are expected to increase by 8 per cent per annum over the next 10 "; S19[35]=" years, to reach 301,000 in 2008 and peak at 411,000 by 2012... "; R[36]="2007"; T[36]="Tourist sector gets up from fall"; A[36]="By ... Editor"; Dn[36]="20030616"; Dt[36]="Monday 16 June 2003"; Acats[36]="a44"; B1[36]="      The war with Iraq, severe acute respiratory syndrome and the ongoing threat of terrorism have all conspired to lay the Australian tourism "; B2[36]="sector out flat... "; B3[36]=" "; B4[36]=" "; B5[36]=" "; S1[36]="      The war with Iraq, severe acute respiratory syndrome and the ongoing threat of terrorism have all conspired to lay the Australian tourism "; S2[36]=" sector out flat.
      The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported inbound tourist numbers fell to a 21-year low in April, with the damage "; S3[36]=" inflicted on the sector over the previous three months far greater than that experienced after the first Gulf War and September 11.
      "; S4[36]=" 'It seems like no sooner has one problem resolved itself than another appears,' says Dr Shane Oliver, the chief economist and head of investment strategy "; S5[36]=" at AMP Henderson Global Investors.
      Recent hijack attempts lend weight to his view.
      Andrew Bostock, of Paterson Ord Minnett, "; S6[36]=" says: 'The entire sector has been affected and is in disarray.' But out of the confusion has come the first tentative reports that things could "; S7[36]=" be on the rebound.
      Global investment bank UBS Warburg has re-rated Macquarie Airports.
      'It's a bit of a trend "; S8[36]=" change,' says Marcus Padley, a broker at Tolhurst Noall.
      'The same thing has happened with Qantas shares.' A few fundamental factors are "; S9[36]=" helping the shares, he says.
      In the case of Qantas, falling oil prices and the stronger Australian dollar are positives.
    "; S10[36]="   Mr Padley says research reports recommending Macquarie Airports also reflect a reduction in the risks affecting the industry as the world gets SARS into "; S11[36]=" perspective.
      Macquarie Airports is also benefiting from more positive sentiment towards its parent company, Macquarie Bank.
      Macquarie Airports' assets "; S12[36]=" include 44.7 per cent of Sydney Airport, 28 per cent of Rome Airport, 18.3 per cent of Bristol Airport and 8.8 per cent of Birmingham "; S13[36]=" Airport.
      David Fraser, an analyst at UBS Warburg Infrastructure, says in the past he appraised Macquarie Airports conservatively.
      He "; S14[36]=" lifted his forecast to $1.53 from $1.36.
      The shares closed up 5¢ on Friday at $1.41.
      'Airports are like "; S15[36]=" roads in that the revenue grows at a greater rate than the cost line,' Mr Fraser says.
      Revenue is linked to some "; S16[36]=" extent to the number of international passengers passing through the airport terminals, while domestic passenger numbers are usually linked to economic growth.
      "; S17[36]=" However, costs rise in line with inflation, which is currently very low.
      Other revenue streams include aircraft landing charges, apron parking, car "; S18[36]=" park fees and charges, and retail rents.
      For instance, Mr Fraser says Macquarie recently acquired Rome Airport and the company intends to "; S19[36]=" significantly increase retail spending per passenger at the terminal.
      In determining the value of the airports group, he looked at long-term performance "; S20[36]=" figures for the British Airport Authority.
      'Airports return to positive growth, in terms of international travel, within about seven months of a "; S21[36]=" major, negative event,' he says.
      'If history repeats itself, then we will see that positive growth in the October-November period.' Citigroup Smith "; S22[36]=" Barney says while passenger volumes were down at Sydney and Rome airports in April, numbers were up at Bristol and Birmingham.
      Citigroup "; S23[36]=" suggests Macquarie Airports will outperform against the broader equity market, given its attractive yield, at greater than 6 per cent.
      It believes "; S24[36]=" the share price will move to $1.46.
      It also says that low-fare airlines, especially at Birmingham and Bristol airports, are boosting passenger "; S25[36]=" numbers, or passenger traffic through terminals.
      Macquarie's Martin Lakos says although the research department recently downgraded its expectations for Qantas, he still "; S26[36]=" favours the company.
      'Over time, Qantas will take advantage of the tough times to reduce its cost base; it is a recovery "; S27[36]=" stock,' he says.
      In a research report, Macquarie says the price fundamentals for Qantas remain strong.
      'Most of its "; S28[36]=" international routes have solid market positions and loyalty revenue,' it says.
      Macquarie Research also says it expects Patrick Corporation, which owns 50 "; S29[36]=" per cent of rival airline Virgin Blue, to outperform over the long term.
      Last month, Virgin Blue released details of its 2003 "; S30[36]=" result, a profit of $110 million on revenue of $924 million - up significantly on the previous year.
      The performance of other "; R[37]="2001"; T[37]="Australia Launches New Tourism Push"; A[37]="By ... Editor"; Dn[37]="20030616"; Dt[37]="Monday 16 June 2003"; Acats[37]="a44"; B1[37]="      A new tourism marketing push for Australia has begun across Asia and Japan to rebuild consumer confidence in travel and boost holiday "; B2[37]="bookings to Australia... "; B3[37]=" "; B4[37]=" "; B5[37]=" "; S1[37]="      A new tourism marketing push for Australia has begun across Asia and Japan to rebuild consumer confidence in travel and boost holiday "; S2[37]=" bookings to Australia.
      Speaking at the launch of the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in Melbourne today, Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) Managing Director, "; S3[37]=" Ken Boundy said that due to the severe impact of SARS, consumer sentiment to travel in Asia was expected to take several months to fully "; S4[37]=" recover, however the new campaigns would assist to rebuild traffic to the country.
      'Starting immediately, the campaigns will run over several months "; S5[37]=" promoting Australia as a friendly and welcoming destination,' Mr Boundy said.
      'We are reactivating our marketing activities in the region as there "; S6[37]=" are clear signs that consumers' interest in travel is beginning to pick-up.
      'Using the slogan, Australia - You're Welcome, the campaign will "; S7[37]=" help rebuild consumer confidence in the travel market, giving people 'peace of mind' in holidaying overseas, as well as establishing Australia as the ideal destination "; S8[37]=" to take a needed break.
      'Working with the industry, the new promotion will be rolled out across the region including Singapore, Hong "; S9[37]=" Kong, Korea and Malaysia and Taiwan and will also extend to Japan, Ads in newspapers and magazines, as well as TV and radio commercials, will "; S10[37]=" be supported by consumer competitions, media promotions and an extensive visiting journalist program.' Mr Boundy said that over the past two months arrivals from international "; S11[37]=" markets had dropped by between 15 to 20 per cent each week.
      Some of the worst hit markets are in the Asia "; S12[37]=" region, with falls of up to 40 - 50 per cent in weekly visitor arrivals from South East Asia.
      'There are now "; S13[37]=" indications that arrivals to Australia from some of these markets are beginning to pick-up,' he said.
      'The recovery in tourism in Asia "; S14[37]=" will not be uniform and will occur in stages, as consumers firstly need to regain confidence in travel, and then move to the next phase "; S15[37]=" as consumers look to travel overseas and respond to travel promotions.
      'The travel market in Korea remains relatively unaffected, whereas consumers in "; S16[37]=" Singapore, India, Japan and Hong Kong are just beginning to regain interest and confidence in travel.
      'However, consumer confidence is going to "; S17[37]=" take some time to rebuild in China, Taiwan and Malaysia due to the lasting impact of SARS on consumer travel intentions.
      'Recovery "; S18[37]=" is not going to be instantaneous - it is going to take months, and for some markets recovery will not occur until the last quarter "; S19[37]=" of this year.
      Mr Boundy said Australia remained committed to building tourism in this region, and past experiences, such as the Asian "; S20[37]=" financial crisis, show that outbound travel from Asia and Japan will rebound from significant downturns.
      'Competition over the next six months will "; S21[37]=" be fierce with many countries in the Asia region, such as Singapore and Hong Kong also embarking on major tourism drives and promoting intra-regional travel,' "; S22[37]=" he said.
      'However, it is expected that there will be significant pent-up demand for travel over coming months and we want to "; S23[37]=" ensure that Australia receives an increased share of outbound travel from this important region.
      The new campaign is funded by the new "; S24[37]=" $10 million allocation of Federal Government funding to the ATC announced last week... "; R[38]="1985"; T[38]="Tourism bids for Ansett funds"; A[38]="By ... Editor"; Dn[38]="20030612"; Dt[38]="Thursday 12 June 2003"; Acats[38]="a44"; B1[38]="      The Australian Tourism Export Council has called on the Federal Government to use surplus Ansett levy funds to help the industry get "; B2[38]="back on its feet... "; B3[38]=" "; B4[38]=" "; B5[38]=" "; S1[38]="      The Australian Tourism Export Council has called on the Federal Government to use surplus Ansett levy funds to help the industry get "; S2[38]=" back on its feet.
      Council managing director Peter Shelley said the levy coincided with one of the worst downturns in the industry's "; S3[38]=" history.
      'We still have short-term issues to confront in the aftermath of Iraq and SARS, including the need to kickstart travel consumer "; S4[38]=" confidence and to promote Australia as a SARS-free and safe destination,' he said.
      More than $250 million was collected through a $10 "; S5[38]=" levy imposed on all domestic airfares to recover money lent by the Federal Government to the administrators of failed airline Ansett.
      In "; S6[38]=" Perth last month, Prime Minister John Howard said that if there was a surplus, it would be returned to the community via the tourist and "; S7[38]=" transport industries.
      Mr Shelley said it was time for the Government to 'walk the walk' and invest directly in tourism... "; R[39]="1977"; T[39]="Australian Tourism Exchange - A Ripper"; A[39]="By ... Editor"; Dn[39]="20030610"; Dt[39]="Tuesday 10 June 2003"; Acats[39]="a44"; B1[39]="      Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos said today the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in Melbourne next week was set to be the most successful "; B2[39]="ever, with the attention of the world s tourism industry centred on Victoria... "; B3[39]=" "; B4[39]=" "; B5[39]=" "; S1[39]="      Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos said today the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in Melbourne next week was set to be the most successful "; S2[39]=" ever, with the attention of the world's tourism industry centred on Victoria.
      'Despite the challenges facing the industry we expect the ATE "; S3[39]=" to be a great success and have a lasting impact on Victorian tourism,' Mr Pandazopoulos said.
      The ATE will run from June "; S4[39]=" 14 to 20 with representatives of the travel industry from the world's biggest markets, Europe, Asia and the Americas travelling to Melbourne for the event.
"; S5[39]="       Mr Pandazopoulos said that a record 166 of Victoria's internationally focussed tourism operators, those who offer products in the global market, would "; S6[39]=" participate in the Exchange.
      'These leading Victorian tourism operators will be among more than 2500 tourism industry representatives from around the world "; S7[39]=" who will attend what will be a great event for Victoria.
      'Our Victorian industry will be able to market its products directly "; S8[39]=" to hundreds of influential international wholesalers and industry representatives.
      'The aim of the Exchange is to position Australia in the international tourism "; S9[39]=" marketplace and with Melbourne as host, Victoria is ideally placed to benefit from the event.
      'It's estimated 2.5 million visitors travel to "; S10[39]=" Australia each year through agreements reached at the exchange.
      'The ATE itself will inject an estimated $10 million into the Victorian economy "; S11[39]=" and generate 13,000 visitor nights for the State's accommodation providers.
      'With the compact size of Victoria, many of our regional destinations will "; S12[39]=" be able to attract ATE delegates so they can experience what Victoria has to offer first hand.' The Bracks Government is providing $3.6 million in "; S13[39]=" funding for the event over the next two years, with the event to be held in Victoria again next year.
      The ATE "; S14[39]=" has been held annually in Australian since 1979 and is the Southern Hemisphere's biggest travel trade show.
      The week will bring together "; S15[39]=" tourism operators, airlines, travel wholesalers, retailers and media from around the globe... "; R[40]="1912"; T[40]="Tourism recovery by end of year"; A[40]="By ... Editor"; Dn[40]="20030527"; Dt[40]="Tuesday 27 May 2003"; Acats[40]="a44"; B1[40]="      Australian tourism would probably emerge from its slump towards the end of the year, an industry leader said today.... "; B2[40]=" "; B3[40]=" "; B4[40]=" "; B5[40]=" "; S1[40]="      Australian tourism would probably emerge from its slump towards the end of the year, an industry leader said today.
      "; S2[40]=" Australian Tourist Commission managing director Ken Boundy said Australia was already starting to see signs of recovery.
      'Before we go back "; S3[40]=" into positive growth around Australia generally, it's probably likely to be in the last quarter of this calendar year,' he said.
      "; S4[40]=" A conference in Cairns today, themed from 'crisis to opportunity', looked at how the industry was responding to the combined effects of SARS, terrorism and "; S5[40]=" the Iraq war.
      Cairns has been hit hard by the flow-on effects of SARS, with tourist operators suffering and some Australian "; S6[40]=" Airlines flights to Asia temporarily suspended.
      However, industry leaders were reluctant to label the tourism slump a crisis, preferring to use "; S7[40]=" the phrase 'serious downturn'.
      The conference heard domestic tourism and the backpacker market were still strong as were visitor numbers from "; S8[40]=" New Zealand and Korea.
      The European market was starting to look up but it would still take a few months for numbers "; S9[40]=" from Japan to climb to a reasonable level.
      Tourism Queensland marketing director Alex de Waal said the downturn created potential for "; S10[40]=" industry growth.
      'What we have today is a fantastic opportunity which is brilliantly disguised as an impossible position,' he said.
  "; S11[40]="     'There are major issues but there are lots of opportunities if we look to the medium and long term.' Mr de "; S12[40]=" Waal said the challenge was to be flexible, focus on a variety of markets, reassure travellers it was safe to fly, and market destinations through "; S13[40]=" media and trade trips.
      Mr Boundy described suggestions that one in seven tourism jobs in Australia could be affected by the "; S14[40]=" crisis as far too pessimistic.
      'This industry has been through a number of shocks and has come out the other end,' "; S15[40]=" he said... "; R[41]="1889"; T[41]="Tourist arrivals to Australia plunge 20 per cent"; A[41]="By ... Editor"; Dn[41]="20030521"; Dt[41]="Wednesday 21 May 2003"; Acats[41]="a44"; B1[41]="      SARS is crushing the $17 billion tourism industry and undermining the wider economy, with new figures showing the steepest-ever decline in international "; B2[41]="arrivals... "; B3[41]=" "; B4[41]=" "; B5[41]=" "; S1[41]="      SARS is crushing the $17 billion tourism industry and undermining the wider economy, with new figures showing the steepest-ever decline in international "; S2[41]=" arrivals.
      They are down 21 per cent over the three months to April, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released yesterday, "; S3[41]=" and industry representatives say numbers will drop much further before they improve.
      'We are totally bleeding here,' said Peter Wong, whose company "; S4[41]=" CP Tours arranges holidays mainly for East Asian visitors.
      His bookings are down between 60 and 70 per cent.
      "; S5[41]=" 'I don't think the Government knows how badly we've been affected.' The bureau's figures show visitor numbers fell 11 per cent in April alone, to "; S6[41]=" their lowest level in more than five years.
      The 40,600 drop was the largest in a month since records began in 1970, "; S7[41]=" exceeding the 38,200 plunge just after the 2000 Olympics.
      Tourist numbers from South-East Asia were 40 per cent lower than a year "; S8[41]=" earlier, while visitors from North-East Asia were down 28 per cent.
      A spokesman for the Minister for Tourism, Joe Hockey, yesterday acknowledged "; S9[41]=" SARS was the worst element in a chain of disasters hitting the industry.
      Global recession, the collapse of Ansett, the September 11 "; S10[41]=" terrorist attacks, the Bali bombings and war in Iraq have all injured the international travel business.
      Mr Hockey's long-awaited tourism green paper, "; S11[41]=" which outlines a 10-year revival plan for the industry, is being reworked after being submitted to cabinet last week and is understood to be set "; S12[41]=" for release next week.
      It will advocate a campaign to promote niche markets such as wine tasting, indigenous cultural tours and bird "; S13[41]=" watching, rather than a generic Paul Hogan-style brand.
      Industry will be disappointed the paper does not include specific funding suggestions.
    "; S14[41]="   The World Health Organisation is confident SARS infections have peaked in most areas outside Taiwan and northern China.
      Beijing and the "; S15[41]=" nearby provinces of Shanxi and Hebei remain on high-alert.
      Some warn China's over-burdened health system is the only obstacle to a medical "; S16[41]=" catastrophe and a second Asian economic crisis.
      'If SARS is not contained in China, the production and demand linkages to the rest "; S17[41]=" of East Asia suggest the potential for a region-wide economic crisis in the second half of 2003,' said Richard Martin, managing director at business analysts "; S18[41]=" IMA Asia.
      New research estimates the SARS outbreak will slash the Hong Kong economy by 5.5 per cent, driving it into recession, "; S19[41]=" and slice 2.4 per cent off the Chinese economy - a contraction which could hurt Australia as well.
      The research by Economic "; S20[41]=" Scenarios warns economic costs will be far greater if the current outbreak is not brought under control this year or if there is a second "; S21[41]=" outbreak.
      Treasury Secretary Ken Henry said yesterday fears of SARS and global terrorism had contributed to the cautious economic forecasts in last "; S22[41]=" week's federal budget.
      'These have made us re-examine the prospects for tourism, and the contribution it might make to growth next year.' "; S23[41]=" Westpac has estimated SARS will subtract 0.3 per cent from Australian GDP growth this year.
      The deputy head of the Australian Tourism "; S24[41]=" Export Council, Greg Thomas, said he expected arrivals to drop sharply again in May and June and estimated SARS would wipe up to $3 billion "; S25[41]=" from the economy... "; R[42]="1849"; T[42]="SARS strikes at Cairns tourism"; A[42]="By ... Editor"; Dn[42]="20030519"; Dt[42]="Monday 19 May 2003"; Acats[42]="a09a44"; B1[42]="      Cairns could be hit by the SARS-fuelled tourism crisis as badly as by the devastating 1989 pilots strike.... "; B2[42]=" "; B3[42]=" "; B4[42]=" "; B5[42]=" "; S1[42]="      Cairns could be hit by the SARS-fuelled tourism crisis as badly as by the devastating 1989 pilots strike.
      The "; S2[42]=" strike led to up to 10 per cent of industry jobs being lost through the region, and losses of billions of dollars.
      "; S3[42]=" Many small businesses and some larger ones closed.
      Tourism generates $14.6 billion a year in Queensland, 60 per cent from overseas, and, "; S4[42]=" despite Federal Tourism Minister Joe Hockey playing it down, Premier Peter Beattie said this week north Queensland tourism was in risis.
      Despite "; S5[42]=" lack of federal funding industry leaders say the effects of September 11, the Ansett collapse, the Bali bombings and the war in Iraq had been "; S6[42]=" absorbed.
      However, they say SARS could plunge the industry into despair.
      They place potential job losses at 10 to "; S7[42]=" 20 per cent and say that without a short-term moratorium on fixed costs like payroll tax it could go higher.
      A Duty "; S8[42]=" Free owner in Cairns said most small businesses targeting tourists were not taking enough to cover the rent, opening fewer hours and laying people off.
"; S9[42]="       'As independents we can be somewhat flexible but the larger businesses are stripped to the bone,' the owner said.
      "; S10[42]=" 'Look at the Night Markets, it is almost empty when it is normally full of people, I have not seen anything like this since the "; S11[42]=" pilots' strike.' About 2000 fewer people are arriving at the Cairns International Airport daily and the Australian Tourism Commission says international visits to the city "; S12[42]=" are down 20 per cent on last year.
      The Australian Hotels Association says occupancy rates have fallen by more than 50 per "; S13[42]=" cent in some cases from five-star resorts down to backpacker hostels.
      Restaurants and tourist operations have been forced to trim operating times "; S14[42]=" and, with the accommodation providers, have let permanent and casual staff go at an increasing rate.
      Cairns-based fish wholesaler Gary Moore has "; S15[42]=" cut his workforce in half since the outbreak and has been unable to convince Asian buyers to purchase more stock.
      Recruitment firm "; S16[42]=" Skilled Engineering manager Paul Grenata said itinerant, regular seasonal workers and international tourists were not picking up employment and were moving on and that more "; S17[42]=" locals were adding to the strain.
      Operators also point to a surplus of over-qualified staff in Cairns at the moment who would "; S18[42]=" normally be seeking work in Asia, on cruise ships or airlines, getting whatever jobs exist.
      Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Bill Calderwood "; S19[42]=" said some operators had not learnt to diversify their customer bases after the lessons of September 11 and were now paying the price with the "; S20[42]=" loss of Asian customers.
      But they could not market their way out, overseas ad campaigns had been cut, and most of the "; S21[42]=" region's 31,000-odd business owners were bracing for a serious drop in the next six months.
      Operators who survived the 1989 pilots' strike "; S22[42]=" are understandably nervous because it was years before the jobs returned.
      Similar predictions abound for the SARS crisis, and that the tourism "; S23[42]=" economy will get a lot worse before it improves... "; R[43]="1844"; T[43]="Wine Tourism Training Program Launched"; A[43]="By ... Editor"; Dn[43]="20030516"; Dt[43]="Friday 16 May 2003"; Acats[43]="a13a44a53"; B1[43]="      An innovative wine tourism training program was launched today, aimed at increasing the knowledge and skills of Tasmanians looking to develop a "; B2[43]="career in a rapidly-developing tourism sector... "; B3[43]=" "; B4[43]=" "; B5[43]=" "; S1[43]="      An innovative wine tourism training program was launched today, aimed at increasing the knowledge and skills of Tasmanians looking to develop a "; S2[43]=" career in a rapidly-developing tourism sector.
      Minister for Education Paula Wriedt says the program is a first, building on the State's booming "; S3[43]=" tourist economy.
      The Institute of TAFE Tasmania's hospitality and tourism training arm, Drysdale, will offer two nationally accredited courses, Introduction to Wine "; S4[43]=" Tourism and Wine Service in Tourism & Hospitality.
      The courses are aimed at wine industry workers in areas such as cellar door "; S5[43]=" sales, retail liquor outlets and wine service.
      They involve a range of activities to improve wine evaluation, product knowledge and wine service "; S6[43]=" skills.
      'This is the first time these courses have been offered in Tasmania.
      It is a direct result of "; S7[43]=" the emergence of the wine tourism sector, in our rapidly- developing tourist industry,' Ms Wriedt said.
      'Last year, Tourism Tasmania and the "; S8[43]=" Tasmanian wine industry developed a detailed and challenging plan for developing wine and food tourism in this State.
      'Drysdale TAFE has responded "; S9[43]=" to this strategy by introducing these two highly relevant courses in consultation with the industry.
      'There are great opportunities for skilled people "; S10[43]=" in this industry - locally, nationally and internationally - with real opportunities to develop a fulfilling career pathway with excellent earning potential,' Ms Wriedt said.
"; S11[43]="       Initially, the training will be conducted at the Launceston and Devonport Drysdale TAFE campuses with the long-term aim of offering the courses "; S12[43]=" onsite at local vineyards.
      'These courses further expand the Institute's involvement in the wine industry.
      'Currently, through the Natural "; S13[43]=" Resources program, Tasmanians can train in everything from propagation and planting of vines, to grape picking, wine production and vineyard management.
      'Now, "; S14[43]=" through Drysdale TAFE, it will also be possible to study end user wine sales and service,' Ms Wriedt said.
      'It is really "; S15[43]=" encouraging to see the Institute keeping pace with modern ways of learning and thinking, providing the Tasmanian community and industry with highly relevant training that "; S16[43]=" makes the most of new opportunities,' Ms Wriedt said... "; R[44]="1801"; T[44]="Tourism faces $2bn SARS short-fall"; A[44]="By ... Editor"; Dn[44]="20030507"; Dt[44]="Wednesday 7 May 2003"; Acats[44]="a09a44"; B1[44]="      Australian tourism operators are predicting a $2 billion loss in export earnings this year because of the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic "; B2[44]="and the war in Iraq... "; B3[44]=" "; B4[44]=" "; B5[44]=" "; S1[44]="      Australian tourism operators are predicting a $2 billion loss in export earnings this year because of the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic "; S2[44]=" and the war in Iraq.
      The estimate, based on a survey of major inbound tourism operators, was released yesterday by the Australian "; S3[44]=" Tourism Export Council.
      It said the number of international visitors was expected to fall 25 per cent in the June quarter compared "; S4[44]=" with the same period last year.
      'This equates to a $1 billion loss in foreign earnings for Australia for the second quarter "; S5[44]=" alone,' council managing director Peter Shelley said.
      'For many Asian markets, including China and Hong Kong, our survey predicts the impact could "; S6[44]=" be as high as 50 per cent.' The news is not good for Australian casino operators, who are struggling to maintain revenue as the "; S7[44]=" high-roller market disintegrates.
      Perth's Burswood Casino warned last week that its 2003 profits could fall 30 per cent.
      'Casinos "; S8[44]=" in Australia derive a lot of their revenue from Asian visitors.
      When you see declines in arrivals of 30-50 per cent from "; S9[44]=" these countries, obviously it will have an impact,' said the Australian Tourist Commission's Ken Boundy.
      Jupiters Ltd managing director Rob Hines said "; S10[44]=" yesterday that international arrivals in the Gold Coast were down 30 per cent but that a boost in the domestic market might compensate for that.
"; S11[44]="       'We are seeing some forward cancellations in our high-roller business [but] we are making up for most of that in the boost "; S12[44]=" in domestic tourism,' he said.
      In Sydney, Star Casino dropped its international high-roller business two years ago, so the Asian market is "; S13[44]=" less important, but it says it is seeing a drop in hotel occupancies.
      Crown Casino analyst Nola Hodgson, an executive director of "; S14[44]=" UBS Warburg, said SARS would certainly affect high-roller numbers.
      '[But] a really important issue for Crown is that if people are not "; S15[44]=" coming they can cut costs.
      You don't need as many staff.' Meanwhile, a Qantas flight attendant and a woman from the "; S16[44]=" Northern Territory who were suspected of carrying SARS were cleared by health authorities yesterday.
      However, two Australians have been hospitalised and "; S17[44]=" 89 quarantined in a SARS scare in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.
      Two people are under investigation for SARS in "; S18[44]=" Australia: a 24-year-old woman and a 9-year-old boy from NSW... "; R[45]="1749"; T[45]="Tourism crushed by virus"; A[45]="By ... Editor"; Dn[45]="20030429"; Dt[45]="Tuesday 29 April 2003"; Acats[45]="a44"; B1[45]="      Queensland s tourism business from Asia is on the point of collapse, after a massive fall in bookings attributed to the outbreak "; B2[45]="of severe acute respiratory syndrome... "; B3[45]=" "; B4[45]=" "; B5[45]=" "; S1[45]="      Queensland's tourism business from Asia is on the point of collapse, after a massive fall in bookings attributed to the outbreak of "; S2[45]=" severe acute respiratory syndrome.
      International airline passenger arrivals from Asia are plummeting, with some inbound markets down by more than 60 per "; S3[45]=" cent and falling.
      Tourism Queensland yesterday described short-term expectations of visitors from three key Asian markets - Singapore, China and Hong Kong "; S4[45]=" - as 'disastrous' and 'non-existent'.
      It also warned of downturns in other markets including Japan.
      A spokesman "; S5[45]=" for Cairns-based reef operator Sunlover Cruises said business had been affected dramatically by the SARS outbreak, with 700 cancellations last week.
      "; S6[45]=" 'Our two ships would normally take out 600-plus passengers a day between them.
      This week, we've been taking out 100-a-day total on "; S7[45]=" one ship,' managing director Terry Russell said.
      Sunlover had put staff on a four-day-week.
      On the Gold Coast, "; S8[45]=" Asian visitor bookings for the major theme parks were understood to be down by as much as 40 per cent.
      'Singapore, "; S9[45]=" China and Hong Kong have come to a standstill, and what is holding them back is the hysteria this disease is creating,' Tourism Queensland's "; S10[45]=" marketing executive director Alex de Waal said.
      Industry figures showed international arrivals at Brisbane Airport for the week to April 20 down "; S11[45]=" 22 per cent for China, 28 per cent for Japan, which is Queensland's biggest market with 430,000 visitors a year, 61 per cent for Malaysia, "; S12[45]=" 64 per cent for Taiwan and 46 per cent for Singapore.
      But arrivals increased from New Zealand (up 13 per cent), "; S13[45]=" the UK (30 per cent) and Germany (29 per cent).
      While the tourism industry attempts to hold tight, Australian scientists have "; S14[45]=" joined an international race to develop a diagnostic test for SARS.
      The virus has been imported to Australia, with scientists planning "; S15[45]=" to infect live chickens, pigs and cats with the virus in a bid to identify a relationship between animal diseases and SARS in humans.
  "; S16[45]="     Overseas, in the worst-affected nation of China, cinemas, theatres, karaoke bars and internet cafes have been shut down.
      State-run "; S17[45]=" media reported yesterday all 'entertainment businesses involving mass public gatherings' would be closed in Beijing.
      More than 4000 people have been "; S18[45]=" quarantined in the city with schools, universities and libraries closed.
      In Singapore, authorities plan to issue about 500,000 primary school students "; S19[45]=" with thermometers and force them to take their temperatures twice a day.
      And from today, all food handlers - from street "; S20[45]=" hawkers to coffee shop workers - will have their temperatures checked twice daily.
      Deaths at the weekend of a Canadian man, 44, "; S21[45]=" and a Hong Kong resident, 28, proved healthy, younger people were also at risk from SARS.
      In Canada, a World Health Organisation "; S22[45]=" statement warning people not to travel to Toronto may be lifted after Canadian authorities claimed it was both unwarranted and damaging to the economy.
  "; S23[45]="     Canadian officials have complained long and loudly that WHO officials acted without due consideration for WHO spokesman Dick Thompson said the warning would "; S24[45]=" be reconsidered.
      He said Canada had provided his Geneva-based agency with more information about the outbreak in Toronto where 20 SARS deaths "; S25[45]=" have occurred... "; R[46]="1712"; T[46]="Tourism in crisis"; A[46]="By ... Editor"; Dn[46]="20030408"; Dt[46]="Tuesday 8 April 2003"; Acats[46]="a44"; B1[46]="      Australia s international tourism industry has been declared in crisis.... "; B2[46]=" "; B3[46]=" "; B4[46]=" "; B5[46]=" "; S1[46]="      Australia's international tourism industry has been declared in crisis.
      The twin impact of the Iraq war and the Severe "; S2[46]=" Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus is expected to severely damage already ailing tourist businesses.
      Federal Tourism Minister Joe Hockey has activated a "; S3[46]=" national tourism crisis response plan in an effort to counteract any SARS-related downturn in inbound visitor numbers.
      The Australian Tourist Commission "; S4[46]=" is slashing promotions in markets where people are shunning holiday travel as a result of SARS, and is refocusing its efforts in positive areas.
  "; S5[46]="     Mr Hockey said federal and state officials were holding daily crisis meetings to provide 'an early warning' of weakening tourism markets and "; S6[46]=" to advise on how to redirect marketing efforts.
      'If we see an area deteriorating then we're able to move resources into "; S7[46]=" another area to enable it to grow,' Mr Hockey said.
      'There's some markets at the moment where you could give them $1000 "; S8[46]=" and they wouldn't get on a plane.' But other areas, such as New Zealand and Japan, were still considered positive markets for Australia, and "; S9[46]=" would be given an increase in promotions efforts.
      'The Government is particularly concerned about small tourism businesses in areas with a "; S10[46]=" high exposure to international markets such as Cairns, the Gold Coast, the Northern Territory and parts of Western Australia,' Mr Hockey said.
      "; S11[46]=" He said promotions in NZ would be boosted with an extra $500,000 to be spent on campaigns in coming days.
      "; S12[46]=" Authorities would also attempt to spread the message that extra protections against SARS have been put in place at airports and that no cases had "; S13[46]=" so far been detected in Australia.
      Mr Hockey is in the final stages of formulating a 10-year strategic plan for tourism, "; S14[46]=" which is expected to be funded with leftover money from the Ansett levy.
      The head of Sydney Airport, Max Moore-Wilton, has "; S15[46]=" added his voice to calls for any additional Ansett funding to be used on increasing airport security.
      Mr Moore-Wilton, the former "; S16[46]=" secretary of the Prime Minister's Department, said the cost of implementing X-ray scanning for all checked baggage at major airports would cost $160 million - "; S17[46]=" double the Government's estimate.
      Meanwhile, Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific has cut some of its Melbourne to Hong Kong flights.
  "; S18[46]="     Airline spokesman David Bell said the flights had been reduced from 11 to seven a week because of the SARS outbreak.
  "; S19[46]="     'All we know is passenger numbers have dropped quite dramatically on the route,' Mr Bell said.
      'Certainly SARS "; S20[46]=" is having a major impact but it is also possible there is some impact from the war on Iraq.
      It is difficult "; S21[46]=" to know exactly which is which.' Last week, Singapore Airlines cut 60 services because of fears over SARS and the war.
      "; S22[46]=" Lost services include seven flights from Perth to Singapore.
      Last month the airline announced another 65 cuts, representing a total loss of "; S23[46]=" 13.6 per cent of its services.
      Qantas also reduced planned international flying by up to 20 per cent between April 1 "; S24[46]=" and mid-July in response to the war and SARS... "; R[47]="1698"; T[47]="Tourism hit hard by war and virus"; A[47]="By ... Editor"; Dn[47]="20030404"; Dt[47]="Friday 4 April 2003"; Acats[47]="a44"; B1[47]="      The combined effect of the deadly virus outbreak and war in Iraq will be as serious for the Australian tourism industry as "; B2[47]="September 11 and the Ansett collapse, a tourism chief has warned... "; B3[47]=" "; B4[47]=" "; B5[47]=" "; S1[47]="      The combined effect of the deadly virus outbreak and war in Iraq will be as serious for the Australian tourism industry as "; S2[47]=" September 11 and the Ansett collapse, a tourism chief has warned.
      The warning comes as airlines continue cutting flights into Asia in "; S3[47]=" response to the disease, known as sudden acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and a growing number of airline employees refuse to fly to infected areas.
"; S4[47]="       SARS has killed nearly 80 people around the world.
      More than 2300 others are believed to be infected.
  "; S5[47]="     Three Australian patients, two in NSW and one in Queensland, remain under observation.
      Ken Boundy, the Australian Tourist Commission's managing "; S6[47]=" director, said as a result of a recent jump in cancellations, bookings to Australian destinations for April and May are down by more than 30 "; S7[47]=" per cent.
      'In the first week of the war we were down 15 per cent,' he said.
      'Down 20 "; S8[47]=" in the second, and now it looks as if they are down by over 30 per cent, and over half of this jump has to "; S9[47]=" be SARS-related.
      'This disease is having a devastating effect upon the industry and the two factors combined are having an impact as "; S10[47]=" bad as the twin crises of September 11 and Ansett's collapse.' Singapore Airlines this week announced it is cutting 60 flights a week out of "; S11[47]=" Singapore, on top of 65 cuts announced the day after the United States attacked Iraq.
      A spokesman for Cathay Pacific said services "; S12[47]=" within Asia have been reduced and Australian reservations for April are down, while Qantas has announced flight cuts and indicated a further 20 per cent "; S13[47]=" reduction in flights was likely before mid-July.
      Another problem for airlines is the increasing number of staff refusing to fly to SARS-affected "; S14[47]=" areas.
      Six Air New Zealand cabin staff refused to fly to Hong Kong this week, while a spokeswoman for the Flight Attendants "; S15[47]=" Association of Australia yesterday said several Qantas cabin crew are also refusing to fly to infected regions.
      The airlines are allowing concerned "; S16[47]=" staff to work other routes.
      Meanwhile, China, which has been criticised for its slow response to the outbreak, yesterday granted permission for "; S17[47]=" a World Health Organisation team to visit Guangdong, where the first cases appeared in Foshan city.
      Speaking out for the first time, "; S18[47]=" the Health Minister, Zhang Wenkang, said the number of deaths has been reduced and the epidemic was under control.
      'People live and "; S19[47]=" work normally.
      The society is stable and travel safe,' Mr Zhang said.
      He said China's slow response was due "; S20[47]=" to the uniqueness of the virus that had never before been documented.
      But a Hong Kong-based political scientist, Wu Guoguang, said 'the "; S21[47]=" leadership knew about it [the outbreak] several months ago, but they didn't do anything'.
      Among other developments: _ New Scientist reported that "; S22[47]=" tests by a Dutch virologist have confirmed SARS is caused by a new type of coronavirus.
      _ A report in The South "; S23[47]=" China Morning Post said the first victims were people in the Chinese province of Guangdong, who ate or handled wild game.
      _ "; S24[47]=" Hong Kong extended the closure of most schools until April 21 and authorities sent a blanket text message to 6 million mobile phones, denying Hong "; S25[47]=" Kong had been declared an 'infected city'.
      _ Britain issued a warning against travel to Hong Kong and parts of south China "; S26[47]=" and British Airways suspended direct flights from London to Hong Kong.
      _ Canadian health officials warned of a fresh bout of SARS "; S27[47]=" cases and raised the number of suspect or probable cases to 160.
      _ Organisers of a conference in New Zealand turned away "; S28[47]=" a Chinese delegation... "; R[48]="1684"; T[48]="WA s intervention a boost to tourism industry."; A[48]="By ... Editor"; Dn[48]="20030403"; Dt[48]="Thursday 3 April 2003"; Acats[48]="a44a67"; B1[48]="      The $5million crisis funding provided to the tourism industry by the State Government after September 11 and the collapse of Ansett is "; B2[48]="helping to ease the industry s pain, according to recent research... "; B3[48]=" "; B4[48]=" "; B5[48]=" "; S1[48]="      The $5million crisis funding provided to the tourism industry by the State Government after September 11 and the collapse of Ansett is "; S2[48]=" helping to ease the industry's pain, according to recent research.
      Tourism Minister Clive Brown said it was important to recognise times were "; S3[48]=" tough in the tourism industry, and given the current climate, would continue to be so into the foreseeable future.
      'It will take "; S4[48]=" some time before many operators turn the corner, but it appears the crisis fund, enhanced by some proactive Western Australian Tourism Commission marketing in close "; S5[48]=" co-operation with the tourism industry, is bearing fruit,' Mr Brown said.
      'The $5million, 10-point plan, put in place soon after the collapse "; S6[48]=" of Ansett, was designed to minimise the damage to the tourism industry - both in terms of jobs and the very significant economic benefits the "; S7[48]=" tourism sector delivers WA.
      'According to the Bureau of Tourism Research National Visitors Survey, WA is outperforming every other State and Territory "; S8[48]=" in relation to increased spending associated with travel in our own State.
      'Western Australians choosing to holiday here at home injected about "; S9[48]=" $1.7billion into the economy last financial year, and during our recent campaign period spending increased by 16.3 per cent.
      This amounts to "; S10[48]=" extra spending of about $237million above earlier predictions.
      'On behalf of everyone in the tourism industry I would like to thank all "; S11[48]=" Western Australians who made a decision to spend their most recent holiday here in WA.
      Other States have not been so successful "; S12[48]=" in this marketing initiative.' Mr Brown said it was likely targeted marketing had also played an integral part in keeping spending by interstate visitors to "; S13[48]=" pre-crisis levels, despite initial fears more than $50million would be lost as interstate visitor numbers declined.
      Of the $5million special fund, approximately "; S14[48]=" $2.8million was spent last financial year in intrastate and interstate marketing initiatives.
      Research showed that during this investment period total domestic tourism "; S15[48]=" expenditure increased in WA by 10.5 per cent, which was 16.4 per cent greater than forecast.
      'Using the accepted formula of eight "; S16[48]=" jobs created per $1million of tourism expenditure, our investment created, or possibly saved, 2,300 jobs,' Mr Brown said... "; R[49]="1658"; T[49]="New Management Plan for the Grampians"; A[49]="By ... Editor"; Dn[49]="20030326"; Dt[49]="Wednesday 26 March 2003"; Acats[49]="a44a48a65"; B1[49]="      Preserving indigenous heritage values and managing water resources are important planks in the new management plan for the Grampians National Park, the "; B2[49]="Minister for Environment and Water, John Thwaites, said today... "; B3[49]=" "; B4[49]=" "; B5[49]=" "; S1[49]="      Preserving indigenous heritage values and managing water resources are important planks in the new management plan for the Grampians National Park, the "; S2[49]=" Minister for Environment and Water, John Thwaites, said today.
      Launching the plan at the Brambuk Cultural Centre in the Grampians, Mr Thwaites "; S3[49]=" said it balanced cultural, natural and historical considerations.
      'The Bracks Government is committed to protecting our National Parks for future generations by "; S4[49]=" managing them in a manner that reflects our diverse cultural history and protects their environmental integrity,' Mr Thwaites said.
      'Many diverse groups "; S5[49]=" have had a say in developing this plan including local indigenous communities, the Friends of Gariwerd-Grampians, Grampians National Park Advisory Group, 4WD clubs, tourism organisations "; S6[49]=" and local government.' The plan sets out guidelines for managing culturally significant areas, recreational facilities and services, and conservation works in the Grampians.
    "; S7[49]="   'This plan also supports the development of a Gariwerd/Grampians Indigenous Cultural Heritage Strategy to focus specifically on protecting, conserving and promoting understanding of cultural "; S8[49]=" values in the park.' Mr Thwaites said the Bracks Government was pleased to have supported the establishment of the Brambuk Cultural Centre.
      "; S9[49]=" 'We want to continue to work with indigenous Victorians on ways to protect our State's cultural and natural heritage.
      'We also aim "; S10[49]=" to provide better services to park visitors, especially in areas in the Grampians that are visited the most, including Boroka and Reeds Lookouts, Wonderland, MacKenzie "; S11[49]=" Falls and Zumsteins.
      'I urge all Victorians to come up and enjoy a Grampians experience for themselves.' To obtain copies of the "; S12[49]=" plan contact the Parks Victoria Information Centre on 13 1963.
      The Management Plan is available on www.parkweb.vic.gov.au.. ";