Sydney-Melbourne The World's Fifth Busiest Air Route

As you shuttle between Sydney and Melbourne on any given day, take comfort in knowing that you're among seven million people who make the same inter-city trek each year.

That's not only equivalent to one-third of Australia's population – it also puts the bustling Sydney-Melbourne corridor in the top five of the world's busiest airline routes.

And with just under four million passengers flying annually between Sydney and Brisbane, this upper leg of Australia's 'golden triangle' of travel slots into 12th place on the world ladder.

Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are among the world's busiest airline routes Image: Data by Amadeus, graphic by The Economist

According to travel technology and bookings company Amadeus, a South Korean domestic route between Seoul and Jeju – the largest volcanic island in South Korea, and a premium tourist destination –  is the world's busiest air traffic route in terms of volume, with some 9.9 million passengers in 2011.

Second on the list if is Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro-Sao Paulo sector, followed by two domestic Japanese routes (Tokyo-Osaka and Tokyo-Sapporo).

The USA doesn't even make the top 15: its three busiest routes tally around three million passengers each, winging their way between New York and Chicago, Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles.

It's also telling that the Asia Pacific region is home to eight out of the world’s 10 busiest inter-city air routes.

Amadeus also reports that the strongest growth in absolute passenger traffic is led by the BRIC countries. China registered an additional 19 million in 2011, Brazil, 12 million, India eight million and Russia six million. Indonesia was the fifth strongest growth market with an additional five million passengers.

To gain a very real sense of just how busy the skies above us are, check out this amazing video showing all commercial flights around the world in a 24 hour period, compressed into little more than one minute!

The video simulation was cooked up by boffins at the Zurich School of Applied Sciences using data drawn from FlightStats.




The flights appear like bee swarms as they head towards major destinations.
You can see air traffic peak, taper off and pick up again as day changes to night – watch for those flights racing the sun to hit an early morning arrival into Australia, the west coat of the USA and Europe.

(You'll also spot some flights seemingly travelling at warp-speed near the top of the map, most noticeably heading in from the right-hand side close to the 1.05 mark. While those aircraft appear to make the Concorde look like a Sopwith Camel, their speed is exaggerated because they're crossing the Arctic Circle – a 3D area that's distorted on this 2D map.)

Green Tape Chokes Our Tourism

A luxury hotel! Right inside a Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

Of course, you might say. Who wants to stand in a hot forest the whole day, looking at trees?

Who wouldn't want to zip back after a couple of hours to grab that cocktail, jump in that pool, lounge on that sun deck or take that massage next to that passing wombat?

But note this. This ad campaign is the first in which Tourism Australia has featured not just our best bits of nature, but the luxury resorts right next to them, including spectacular ones at Kangaroo Island and Tasmania's Great Oyster Bay.

Not only that, the Blue Mountains resort is the one at Wolgan Valley that green groups fought and green tape almost strangled. A hotel in a national park? Sacrilege!

Which makes Tourism Australia's latest ad campaign, launched in Shanghai, not just a celebration of Australia, but one more sign of the decline of the anti-human green movement.

The Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, which Test captain Michael Clarke booked out last month for his wedding, is the perfect example.

Emirates announced in 2005 it wanted to build this $125 million extravaganza, yet had to work for two more years just to get its plans through all the green tape, including approvals from the then Howard government, the local shire, the NSW Land and Environment Court and the NSW Labor government.

It's a familiar story for any big developer. For years now, it's seemed a sin to green preachers to have man's footprint anywhere near nature.

This absurd fear of human contamination has closed a uranium mine in Kakadu, banned oil exploration around the Barrier Reef, halted coal mines in Queensland, delayed housing developments in even the most barren scrub and now threatens a planned $30 billion gas hub project on James Price Point an empty scrap of the vast Kimberley.

Even a humble $50 million expansion of the Yaringa Boat Harbour on the Mornington Peninsula was held up for a year by green bureaucrats fretting over an orange-bellied parrot no one had actually seen there for a quarter of a century.

This anti-human paranoia has also led to attacks on tourism itself. Tourists are told not to climb Ayers Rock; recreational fishing has been severely restricted; horse riding in many national parks is limited or even banned; and where is the five-star resort on the Barrier Reef itself that tourists would cross the world to see?

It's like banning laughter in church. Victoria's magnificent Wilsons Prom is under such prudish management that you can't stay anywhere inside bar a camping site or some spartan eco-cabin.
The Wolgan Valley resort could have gone the same puritanical way. What an effort and expense Emirates had to go to just to get an official "yes" to a project that Tourism Australia now touts as one of our biggest tourism magnets.

It had to swap 114 hectares of bushland it had bought next to the park for 39ha of the park itself, with green groups screaming every inch of the way. It had to plant thousands of trees, modify its designs and agree to all kinds of restrictions. Even now, just four helicopter trips a week are allowed to ferry in guests.

Now come the Tourism Australia ads to explode the fallacy and extremism that tends to drive such anti-development campaigns.

No, man is not necessarily a pollution on the landscape. No, there's not much point in having great scenery if you make it too tough for people to see or enjoy.

These ads no longer trade on our beauty spots being remote and unsullied by human hands. After all, there's not a single national park that isn't improved by a good road to go see it.
So we see the beauty of the Great Oyster Bay through the windows of the Saffire Freycinet luxury lodge.

We look out over Kangaroo Island's beach from the great windows of the Southern Ocean Lodge. Uluru is seen from well laid dining tables at dusk, and a chopper is parked on top of a waterfall in the El Questro Wilderness Park, because who wants to hike in the heat?

In fact, the sole Victorian entry in the 12 destinations showcased is nothing designed by nature not the Great Ocean Road or the penguins of Phillip Island but Crown casino.

And Sydney closes the ads with our greatest calling card the man-made Sydney Opera House, on the edge of the God-made harbour.

It's the perfect balance.

Green Tape Chokes Our Tourism

Melbourne And Olympic City London Take The Top Awards For Ultimate Sports Cities

Melbourne has come a close second only to the 2012 Olympics host city London in the prestigious World's Ultimate Sport Cities Awards based on industry rankings from SportBusiness International.

As Melbourne prepares to host the Game One blockbuster of the 2012 Harvey Norman State of Origin Series between the Queensland Maroons and New South Wales Blues at Etihad Stadium tonight Premier Ted Baillieu announced that Melbourne is at the top of the world sporting events table.

"Melbourne topped the rankings for the World's Best Sport Venues and the World's Best Major Events Strategy, and was named the Best Sports City in the 'large' category for cities with a population of between four and six million people," Mr Baillieu said.

London, host of this year's Olympic Games, finished just 10 points ahead of Melbourne in the overall category.

"Major sporting events deliver significant economic benefits for Victoria, and major events generate jobs in the events industry as well as our hotels, restaurants, retail businesses and tourist attractions," Mr Baillieu said.

"Importantly major events showcase our great State to the world and that generates tourism and business investment.

"The Victorian Coalition Government is strengthening Victoria's competitive edge, we have successfully secured new major events and we are investing in our sporting venues to attract more major events and to continue to deliver an outstanding spectator experience," Mr Baillieu said.

The Coalition Government has provided new funding to maintain and upgrade Victorian world's best sports venues with planning starting on Stage 2 of the Melbourne Park redevelopment to ensure the Australian Open remains in Melbourne, the completion of Lakeside Stadium as a world class track and field venue and ongoing support for the operation of the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and the State Hockey and Netball Centre.

The Government has also been delivering upgrades at the MCG and Stage 1 of the Melbourne Park redevelopment.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher said Victoria's major events calendar was worth $1.4 billion in economic benefit to our State each year.

"The Victorian Coalition Government has successfully attracted additional major events for Victoria and is committed to boosting Victoria's major events calendar in Melbourne and regional Victoria," Ms Asher said.

Ms Asher said the Coalition Government had secured matches of the 2013 British and Irish Lions Tour of Australia (Rugby), matches of the 2015 AFC Asia Cup, 2014 Masters Rowing World Championships (Ballarat), Host City ISAF Sailing World Cup, Olympic Farewell Series Australian Boomers and Opals (men's and women's basketball teams), WTC Asia-Pacific Ironman Championship, and the FIH Hockey Champions Trophy 2012.

The biennial SportsBusiness Ultimate Sports City Awards recognise the achievements of cities around the world in a number of areas relating to the cities' capacity to support sporting events.

The Awards are assessed by a panel of industry judges convened by SportsBusiness International using a range of criteria including: the number of annual sports events held; major events held or won between 2008 and 2016; numbers of federations hosted; the calibre of events for which bids are currently being made; facilities/venues; transport; accommodation; government support; security; legacy; public sports interest; quality of life; marketing; and the use of social media.

The Top 10 rankings for Ultimate Sports City

1. London 491
2. Melbourne 481
3. Sydney 421
4. New York 406
5. Manchester 398
6. Singapore 393
7. Berlin 370
8. Copenhagen 353
9. Glasgow 344
10. Paris 337

China Strategy Launched in Melbourne

Premier Ted Baillieu has launched Victoria's China Tourism Strategy at the Australia-China Business Week luncheon in Melbourne.

Mr Baillieu said China was Victoria's fastest growing tourism market with more than a quarter of a million Chinese tourists expected to visit this year, and the new ten year strategy aimed to take this growth to new heights.

"The strategy aims to lift the growth of China's tourism market in Victoria from 7% to more than 11% per year," Mr Baillieu said.

"The strategy would generate almost 42,000 additional jobs in Victoria, deliver up to $2.3 billion in annual visitor expenditure and boost gross state product over the ten year period by $18.2 billion.

"Victoria's China Tourism Strategy sets out a clear plan with five key priorities and an agenda that will engage government, business and the tourism industry to strengthen Victoria's relationship with China to reach ambitious targets that will deliver significant economic benefits," Mr Baillieu said.

The five priorities are:

• strengthening Victoria's market positioning;
• building on Victoria's strong education, migrant and business links;
• improving visitor access with China;
• enhancing the quality of the visitor experience; and
• aligning tourism investment to the Chinese visitor market.

Mr Baillieu said part of Victoria's China Tourism Strategy was an $8 million China tourism marketing campaign.

Tourism and major events minister Louise Asher said the strategy – the first of its kind for Victoria – was a blueprint for the tourism industry and business sector to leverage opportunities and address the challenges that lie ahead.

"The economic benefits of this market, worth $816 million last year alone, will depend on how well we deliver new and innovative experiences and satisfy the consumer demands of Chinese visitors," Ms Asher said.

"Other key aims of our strategy include improving Chinese language and cultural literacy services in Victoria and implementing a sophisticated digital marketing strategy," Ms Asher said.

According to the International Visitor Survey, China is Victoria's largest source of international overnight visitor arrivals, after overtaking New Zealand in the year ending December 2011.

Chinese visitors spent $816 million in Victoria in the year ending December 2011, the highest figure of any international market and representing a substantial increase of 19.1 per cent compared to the previous year.

Mr Baillieu said China was Victoria's largest and most important trading partner and this solid base would become a dynamic driver of growth and prosperity for Victoria over the next 30 years.

Victoria and China enjoy a deep bilateral relationship with strong ties and a number of linkages through trade and formalised partnerships," Mr Baillieu said.

Victoria's China Tourism Strategy maps out key priorities relating to market positioning, airline connections, investment, improving the Chinese visitor experience and building on Victoria's strong education, migration and business links with China.

(Source: www.accomnews.com.au)

Travelling Like a Fella to Melbourne

Australia’s cultural capital has ranked tenth behind powerhouses such as London, New York and Rio in AskMen’s fourth annual ‘Top 29 Cities for Men’ 2012.

As part of the AskMen study, men found Melbourne’s ‘buzzing night life’ and sports scene was key to drawing in the fellas while popular city, Sydney failed to even garner a showing.   

AskMen Australian editor Jamie Watt said he understood the appeal behind Melbourne, which managed to steal attendance from both local and international males.

London took top spot, with men declaring it “the centre of the world”, while Peru’s capital Lima was described as “the next sexy South America city you’ve never been to” and ranked in at number 13.

“From Olympic fever in London (#1), to the adventure of a lifetime in Mumbai (#2), to preparing to be the most watched city on earth in 2014 – thanks to Rio (#3) hosting the Soccer World Cup and of course, enjoying ‘the beach party of your dreams’ in Cartagena (#7) – when it comes to this year’s ‘Top 29 Cities for Men’ it’s all about world sporting spectacles, soaking up the sun, partying and enjoying the foodie factor in exotic locations,” an AskMen representative said.

Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh (#14) was also incorporated into the list this year “because the food keeps getting better” as well as Cartagena in Spain for hosting the “beach part of your dreams”.

(Source: Travmedia.com)

MCVB’s 2012/2013 Strategic Business Plan Revealed

The Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau’s (MCVB) Chief Executive Officer Karen Bolinger officially launched the organisation’s 2012/2013 Strategic Business Plan at IMEX this week.

The plan, which centres around the organisation’s vision of Melbourne becoming globally recognised as the world’s premier city for business events, also aims to have MCVB acknowledged as a thought-leader, an innovator and driver of significant economic impact to the city, state and country.

Ms Bolinger said the multi-layered strategic plan had been developed in consultation with clients, stakeholders and staff at all levels of the organisation, which has resulted in a comprehensive, cohesive document that clearly sets the direction for the future.

“We have reassessed who we are as an organisation and what we want to achieve, and in-line with this we have worked hard to establish what we are doing well and what we want to do better,” she said.

“Over the last few years the landscape of business events across the globe has changed significantly, with many cities, governments and countries recognising the value of business events beyond delegate numbers and economic impact.

“As the economic and competitive landscape changes, the strategic direction of MCVB needs to move with it and this new plan has been developed to identify how we can remain competitive on a global stage.

“The six strategic projects provide us with a platform on which to build a focussed organisation with a set direction. We’ve got rid of the clutter and in some instances redirected our resources in order to streamline our activities to deliver us better conversion across the board and ensure our clients, stakeholders and staff are all engaged.”

Ms Bolinger added that the MCVB team was looking forward to achieving the goals they had set for themselves.

“Provided these strategic projects are effectively executed, there’s no doubt MCVB and Melbourne will be positioned extremely well for the future,” she said.

(Source: etravelblackboard.com)

MCVB’s 2012/2013 Strategic Business Plan Revealed

Shows Australia: Cirque Du Soleil Prepares for Mass Insect Migration From Portland to Brisbane

The countdown to OVO is on!

Who would have thought that relocating a cast of butterflies, crickets, spiders, ants, scarab beetles, fireflies, fleas, a ladybug and a blue fly would take a military-style international operation worthy of a Mission Impossiblescript?

But these are no ordinary insects. They are the stunning cast of the critically-acclaimed family-fun packed OVOby Cirque du Soleil, set to have its Australian premiere in Brisbane on July 14 with a limited season under the trademark blue-and-yellow Big Top at Northshore Hamilton. (amazing images and cool interviews available on request!)

OVO finished playing in Portland, Oregon, USA on Sunday. Before the 12-month Australian tour can commence, the cast, crew, big top and its surrounding village must be transported all the way from Portland to Brisbane.

“The Australian tour is the first time OVO has traveled outside North America, and it’s a mammoth logistical operation, one which is planned and managed internationally by Cirque du Soleil’s Tour Logistics Department,” said OVO Production Operation Manager Derrin Brown. The complex operational plan will ensure that the big top, sets and costumes – some 1200 tons of equipment - are pulled down, packed up and shipped to Australia in time for the first performance in Brisbane on Saturday 14 July.

“Transport of the equipment takes place over a two month period, which began in early May. Making co-ordination even more complicated is the fact that equipment for the Australian tour is originating from different countries – Canada, the UK and Germany, with the main portion coming from Portland in the United States.

The Portland equipment will sail to Australia out of the Port of Seattle,” said Brown. “Approximately 78 containers will be transported, with all equipment travelling by boat.

“To ensure Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services requirements are fully met, all the equipment – down to the ‘nails’ that hold the tents down - must be washed before being placed in the containers.   It’s a huge operation, but all equipment should be safe and sound in Brisbane by early July.”

Then there’s the cast and crew. Over 60 bicycles and 410 suitcases will be transported to help make Australia their home for the next year. The cast of OVO features 54 performing artists from 16 countries specializing in many acrobatic acts. One highlight of the show is the stunning Flying Act in which a group of scarab beetles soar high above the stage, from both edges to the middle landing on a platform. This breathtaking act combines many circus disciplines: banquine, Russian swing and swinging chair.

Since its world premiere in 2009, OVO has visited more than 15 cities in Canada, United States and Mexico, delighting over 2 million spectators.  OVO, meaning “egg” in Portuguese, is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement.

Cirque du Soleil

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from more than 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents. Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters are in Montreal, Canada.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL - OVO - 2012/2013 AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Brisbane - From July 14 2012, Northshore Hamilton
Sydney - From September 13 2012, Showring at The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
Adelaide - From December 6 2012, Location to be advised
Melbourne - From January 17 2013, Melbourne Docklands
Perth - From April 14 2013, Langley Park

Cirque Du Soleil Prepares for Mass Insect Migration From Portland to Brisbane