AUSTRALIA TOURISM 2

Sydney Australia, known as the Harbor City, has both a unique landscape, as well as a unique history. The sheltered harbor of Sydney Australia made Sydney an excellent home for indigenous peoples, and later a useful port for Europeans. On January 26th, 1788, 11 ships from Britain arrived in Sydney Cove. Called the “First Fleet”, these ships carried British soldiers, along with British prisoners, sent to establish a new colony. Modern Sydney still bears the mark of these early settlers. Some of Sydney’s main streets run along the original trails carved out by European settlers.



Today, Sydney is known for its beautiful harbor, along with the Harbour Bridge that graces its waters. The Sydney Opera House is also a famous landmark for Australians and tourists alike, and an excellent stop on your Australia sightseeing journey. The Opera House is open year round, and features some of the best in world dance, music, and theatre. Travel in Sydney is not complete without touring the house, or maybe even seeing a show. You may even purchase tickets online when planning your trip. For travelers who are patrons of the arts, the Sydney Arts Festival is also a great option. Held each January during Australia’s summer, this event is completely free of charge. The arts festival is an exciting way to experience both European and Indigenous tradition, along with music, dance, and arts from around the world.

Art from around the world can also be found in local shopping centers throughout Sydney. One of the most popular is the Queen Victoria Building. The Queen Victoria Building is a landmark in it’s own right, as well as being one of Sydney’s premier shopping centers, both for personal and gift shopping.

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AUSTRALIA TOURISM

Tourism in Australia is a very large sector of the economy. According to a recent report on the industry by the Australian government, the tourism industry represents 4.7% of Australia's GDP, is responsible for 11.2% of Australia's export earnings, and employs 6% of the workforce. At least until September 2001, tourism and particularly international tourism had grown rapidly for the past two decades. All visitors to Australia, apart from New Zealanders, require advance permission to enter the country. For most countries, a full visa is required, but holders of certain passports are able to apply for the simpler Electronic Travel Authority. Australia was also the received the 10th biggest revenue from being a tourist destination in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Australia's international tourism campaigns have largely centred around the image of Australia as a wild, expansive, almost uninhabited continent, with all manner of exotic scenery and wildlife, endless beaches, large coastal cities and friendly, relaxed locals. A famous advertising campaign of the 1980s featuring Paul Hogan offering American tourists the chance to "throw another shrimp on the barbie" serves as an exemplar of this marketing approach. (Ironically, this statement is a misquote; Hogan's actual line was "I'll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you.") Whilst often criticised in Australia as presenting an unrealistic and embarrassing image of Australians and Australia as unsophisticated and uncultured, the approach seems to have succeeded in attracting visitors. The 2006 Campaign uses Australian Lingoistics to try and attract tourists with the slogan "So Where the Bloody Hell are you?"

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